It remains to be seen whether Mitchell Robinson’s future lies with the New York Knicks beyond this year. One thing’s for sure, though: They have no choice but to keep him through this season.
This will be a “Well, duh” moment for some. It’s not actually that simple.
Robinson is headed for unrestricted free agency, and comes with a notoriously checkered health bill. He seems fairly okay right now, but the Knicks can never be sure how many games, or even minutes, he’ll play. They have needed to put him on an ostensibly permanent maintenance program as a result.
Between that, Karl-Anthony Towns’ offensive comfort level at the center position, and New York’s lack of mid-end salaries, Robinson has become a popular trade candidate. Though nothing concretely related to him is billowing about the rumor mill, you don’t need 20/20 vision to read between the lines. Many of the targets to which the Knicks are linked would basically demand that they move Robinson.
Yet, the more you watch this team, the more it becomes unequivocally clear that it can’t afford to trade him.
Mitchell Robinson is beyond important to the Knicks
While there will be certain matchups in which Robinson isn’t exceptionally useful, the combination of his size, length, physicality, and of course, offensive rebounding is a core tenet of the Knicks’ identity.
Point to any number of Knicks games this season. Their most recent comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers doesn’t happen without his five-minute fourth quarter stretch, during which New York grabbed 80 percent (seriously) of its own misses.
We cannot discount the degree to which the Knicks lean on these second-chance opportunities. Only six teams create more of these plays per 100 possessions, and Robinson is at the heart of it all. New York’s offensive rebounding rate increases by 14.6 percentage points with him in the game.
Among the 380-plus players who have logged at least 150 minutes, this is the largest boost by a country mile. The Knicks are making the most of this second-chance bump, too. They have an offensive rating of 143.7 after grabbing their own miss with Robinson in the game. For context, the Denver Nuggets own the NBA’s top offensive rating flat-out…at 125.3.
It should come as no surprise that the Knicks’ offense is worlds more efficient with Robinson on the court. In fact, his defensive impact trails his offensive contributions. His performance on the less-glamorous end is dotted with more inconsistency and less standout movement than usual.
Even so, his general presence remains critical to making certain units work. He can still be a deterrent, and a possession-ender. New York’s scattered dual-big arrangements are also faring quite well on the year.
Trading Mitchell Robinson is too much of a risk
Reaching the offseason only to watch Robinson walk for nothing is a nightmare scenario. Trading him without solidifying a frontcourt upgrade would be even worse.
Accomplishing the latter will be difficult, if not impossible. Upgrading from Robinson is difficult in a vacuum. It is much harder when the Knicks do not have any crown-jewel assets to attach.
Middling sweeteners like the Washington Wizards’ second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 just won’t do, mostly because Robinson’s standalone value is all over the place. New York’s own concerns about his health and cost of retention will be shared by every single trade partner.
Using Robinson to land a non-big, meanwhile, is basically out of the question. The Guerschon Yabusele debacle has left the Knicks thin enough on the frontline as things stand. Jettisoning Robinson without replacing his minutes would expose the team to disastrous consequences.
Maybe there’s a deal in which the Knicks send out Robinson and assets, and get another big, a wing and some financial relief in return. Even if there is, it’s far from a no-brainer. The prospect of downgrading from Robinson to whoever replaces him would be real.
All of which leaves the Knicks with only one choice: Keep Robinson past the trade deadline, finish this season, and figure out the rest over the summer—the risk of losing him for nothing be absolutely damned.