The New York Knicks’ competition to keep Mitchell Robinson may be noticeably less fierce after the Brooklyn Nets re-signed Day’Ron Sharpe to be their starting center.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line recently reported that the Knicks’ crosstown rival had “legitimate interest” in poaching New York’s longest-tenured player once he enters unrestricted free agency. That news came on the heels of Brooklyn shipping Nicolas Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, and creating a vacancy at the center spot.
This hole in the Nets’ rotation technically still exists. Sharpe was on the roster alongside Claxton, and Brooklyn continues to wield over $30 million in cap space after giving him a two-year, $20 million deal.
At the same time, with the starting 5 spot locked down, the Nets almost assuredly won’t make going after Robinson a top priority. He could cost more than Sharpe, and it’d be weird to pay your backup center a higher rate than your starting option.
Plus, as the Knicks know all too well, Robinson’s fit alongside the recently acquired Julius Randle also isn’t the cleanest. So Brooklyn’s interest in Mitch may have always been overstated.
Mitchell Robinson’s list of suitors is winnowing down
If we assume the Nets are now off the board, Robinson’s market no longer seems as frothy.
The Charlotte Hornets removed themselves from contention after drafting Hannes Steinbach, and trading for Naz Reid. The Bulls already took themselves out of the equation by absorbing Claxton.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers have interest and cap space, their pursuit feels like a smokescreen. They need a starting center. Robinson’s checkered health bill and load-management program doesn’t fit that bill. Unless they are content paying him eight figures per year to back up Deandre Ayton, the pairing doesn’t make sense.
The Atlanta Hawks no longer profile as a serious threat, either. They are foregoing the cap-space route after acquiring Aaron Wiggins, and picking up Buddy Hield’s team option. While they still have the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Robinson instantly becomes a putrid fit if they, as expected, pick up Jonathan Kuminga’s team option
Other suitors could emerge out of the woodwork. The Detroit Pistons, for instance, might come calling if they part ways with restricted free agent Jalen Duren. Overall, though, the list of teams positioned to steal Robinson is shorter than it was before.
James Dolan remains the Knicks’ biggest obstacle to keeping Mitchell Robinson
The extent to which all of this matters is debatable. After all, the biggest threat to losing Robinson has never been another team.
It is owner James Dolan’s refusal to enter the second apron.
Right now, if the Knicks want to keep Robinson without going into it, they can’t afford to pay him more than $8 million or $9 million in 2026-27. That price point is unrealistic knowing he just made $13 million.
Failing a change of heart from Dolan , New York may be in line to lose Robinson no matter how many could-be suitors bow out of the sweepstakes. Still, with so many cash-rich landing spots seemingly no longer an option, the Knicks can at least begin free agency thinking there’s a chance, however slight, they’ll be able to keep him.
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