The New York Knicks are getting yet another dominant offensive rebounding season from Mitchell Robinson. The center is the longest-tenured player on the team and, through the six games he's played in thus far, is on track for the best offensive rebounding rate ever. Aside from his injury troubles, though, the defensive force is an unrestricted free agent after this season.
If they don't find a way to keep him around, they might have to watch him walk like Isaiah Hartenstein did last offseason. It may not take Robinson less than a year to win a championship if he ever left the Knicks. But the thought letting the eighth-year defensive anchor, who has never played anywhere else in the league, leave just feels wrong.
OKC's young talent, whose max extensions had yet to kick in, let them make Hartenstein the biggest free agent signing in franchise history. Even though he had interest in staying in New York, they couldn't offer him more than $18 million annually. The Thunder ended up signing him to for three years, $87 million.
It wasn't the Knicks' fault that the CBA didn't let them beat the Thunder's offer for Isaiah Hartenstein last offseason. They do, however, need to offer Robinson enough to not lose him too.
How Karl-Anthony Towns weighs into Mitch extension logic
Karl-Anthony Towns represents a great deal of the Knicks' financial investment, making approximately twice as much as someone like Hartenstein per year. He is signed through next season and has a $61 million player option for 2027-28. He also seems to do best when, at the very least, the team has the option of deploying him either with a traditional, rim-protecting big or as the center himself.
Bigs that can rebound, defend, and without scoring or playmaking ability have gained a reputation of being increasingly replaceable. Extending Robinson would give New York great options, but would it be a necessity or a luxury? With Towns being such an organizational priority, the extra investment in a center as impactful as Robinson to pair with him could be worth it. Especially when compared to how little a potential new deal would be compared to that of some of Towns' former frontcourt-mates.
How should the Knicks value Big Mitch?
With regard to big men that can't stretch the floor or make plays for others at a high level, you're not necessarily en vogue unless you're someone like Robinson or the Rockets' Steven Adams, traditional centers that dominate the glass. Even highly-paid big men like Rudy Gobert and Domantas Sabonis have been under fire in recent years, with the thought that their deficiencies on one end of the court are not outweighed by their excellence on the other.
On top of Towns, the Knicks have signed Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby to extensions in the last few offseasons. The team has plenty of its future payroll accounted for. Karl-Anthony Towns is. In the era of the second apron, and its penalties, the Knicks need to be judicious about every dollar.
Robinson is unique in several ways. It's difficult to compare him to other players. The Rockets' Adams signed a descending three-year contract with an average of $13 million going into this year, his age-32 campaign. Robinson signed a similarly structured contract for an average of $15 million, beginning in his age-24 season and concluding when he'll be 28.
The center's next deal will depend, in part, on his health throughout the rest of this season. If Robinson doesn't play back to backs and stays relatively healthy throughout the playoffs but is unwilling to price into his contract that he missed 116 games in the two seasons before this one; or if the Knicks don't give what Robinson's camp deems proper consideration to him not yet having entered his athletic 'prime,' it could remain possible that no deal is made.
Both sides, however, should do their best to make something work. Robinson is creating a legacy for himself as a Knick in an era where players change teams frequently and where teams trade beloved stars just as often. And the Knicks, especially given their investment in a unique talent like Towns, could use a unique talent like Robinson to complement him.