Wait, the New York Knicks are trying to trade Mitchell Robinson? No. The 25-year-old is entering the second year of the four-year deal, $60 million contract he signed in free agency last summer.
Inspired by the three-team blockbuster trade that landed Deandre Ayton in Portland, Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill wrote about why the Trail Blazers were interested in acquiring the former Suns center. Like Robinson, he’s 25 and fits the organization’s rebuilding path post-Damian Lillard.
Trying to gauge the value of starting centers, Goodwill used the reported asking price for Robinson as an example.
"The asking price for a player like New York’s Mitchell Robinson, sources told Yahoo Sports, is multiple first-round picks – probably a non-starter for most clubs."
Knicks’ reported asking price for Mitchell Robinson is multiple first-round picks
New York’s high price tag on Mitchell Robinson shows how “serious” the front office is about trading him, which isn’t serious at all. If a team in need of a center called the Knicks and was willing to meet that price, it’s an offer that would likely be considered, but the chances of that happening in the first place are low.
If New York swung for the fences and got Joel Embiid, including Robinson in the package or sending him elsewhere in a separate deal would be an obvious move. Even though the Philadelphia drama looks worse by the day, there’s no guarantee Embiid will ask out.
On top of that, if Embiid requested a trade and listed New York as his preferred destination, the Damian Lillard saga further proves the NBA is a business. Daryl Morey could prioritize talking to other teams, which would make sense given Philadelphia’s rivalry with New York.
Barring a sudden change (i.e.: a superstar trade), Mitchell Robinson will continue to be viewed as part of the future of New York.