The New York Knicks have conducted an active offseason in which several key additions to an already strong roster were made. New York brought in productive reserves such as Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele to help create depth for a team known to play its starters for an exhausting number of minutes.
For as important as those acquisitions may prove to be, the most significant decision that Leon Rose made was to opt against trading Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson, 27, is entering the final season of what was once regarded as one of the most team-friendly contracts in the NBA. The front-loaded four-year, $60 million deal will pay the explosive rim protector $12,954,546 in 2025-26, which equates to just 8.38 percent of the salary cap.
An elite shot-blocker and offensive rebounder, Robinson has proven to be worth every penny of his deal whenever he's been on the court.
Unfortunately, the Knicks have had a generally healthy version of Robinson for just one of the three seasons he's played on his current contract. He was active for 59 games in 2022-23 before missing 51 in 2023-24 and 65 in 2024-25.
With this in mind, the Knicks have every reason to trade Robinson before he enters unrestricted free agency in 2026—but Rose appears committed to exploring the big man's fit with the current core.
Knicks' refusal to trade Mitchell Robinson gives team what it was missing
It's difficult to complain about the 2024-25 season considering the Knicks won 51 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. The one area in which most were disappointed, however, was with New York's uncharacteristically poor defense.
Prior to Robinson's 2024-25 season debut on Feb. 28, the Knicks were ranked No. 21 in defensive rating and No. 25 in opponent field goal percentage.
Despite the inevitable limitations that Robinson was forced to overcome after an extended injury absence, his impact on New York's defense was instant. From Feb. 28 to the end of the 2024-25 regular season, New York ranked No. 8 in defensive rating and No. 21 in opponent field goal percentage.
Those improvements were a direct result of Robinson providing value as a rim protector and general interior deterrent for a team that otherwise lacks such a presence.
With a full offseason to get back into form, Robinson will now look to hit the ground running in 2025-26. Whether or not he starts, the pressure will be on for the veteran to provide defensive proficiency and offensive rebounding to adequately balance Karl-Anthony Towns' strengths and weaknesses.
With Towns focusing more on scoring, floor-spacing, and defensive rebounding, Robinson will need to protect the paint, operate as a lob threat, and create second chances.
Thankfully, Robinson is more than qualified for the job. He boasts career averages of 11.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.5 offensive boards, 2.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes, and has the uncanny ability to block jump shots and drives in equally as prolific a manner.
Perhaps a trade will be explored closer to February, but the Knicks did well to give Robinson one last chance to prove he can stay healthy and potentially earn a new contract.