The New York Knicks are at the same time building and attempting to maintain a contender in the Eastern Conference. Mitchell Robinson has been a monster for them -- but could he be the player the front office replaces? If so, his replacement may not be all that far away, playing at the University of Connecticut: one Tarris Reed Jr.
It is hard to overstate the value of Mitchell Robinson to the New York Knicks. His dominance of the offensive glass takes their offense from good to great, and his rim protection and rebounding on the defensive end make up for so many of Karl-Anthony Towns' flaws as a player.
Should the Knicks replace Mitchell Robinson?
The problem with relying on Robinson is that while his per-minute impact is tremendous, he can only play so many of those minutes. As a high-energy big, if you play him much more than 20-25 minutes his impact begins to drop off.
Add in that he misses time every year due to injury, and you get a player who is awesome when he plays, but cannot play as much as you need him. He is averaging only 19.5 minutes per game for a Knicks team that would love for him to play more.
Robinson's price tag of $12.95 million for this season is quite reasonable given his availability issues, but he is about to hit free agency. Can the Knicks afford to pay him at that level or higher as he approaches 30 years old, given that the rest of their roster remains extremely expensive?
Letting Robinson walk and replacing him with a much less expensive option would be an alluring lever to pull, but it would mean taking a bit of a risk. Could they buy low on a veteran option they hope would step up into that same role?
What if the perfect replacement for Robinson's energy, rebounding and defense came not from free agency but from the NBA Draft? The Knicks once drafted Robinson 36th overall back in 2018; could they do it once more?
Perhaps they can -- and perhaps that player is Tarris Reed Jr.
The Knicks could draft Tarris Reed Jr.
Tarris Reed Jr. is a senior center for the UConn Huskies, just down the road in Connecticut. The 6'11" Reed is a rebounding machine and an efficient finisher; he is not going to take or make a 3-pointer, but he thrives on dunks and putbacks.
His impact was on full display this weekend as Reed and the Huskies began play in the NCAA Tournament. Playing a Furman team with their eyes set on an upset, the Huskies needed to lean on their biggest advantage: Reed's size and strength in the paint.
Reed proceeded to dominate Furman's overmatched bigs to the tune of 31 points and a staggering 27 rebounds. He shot 12-of-15 from the field and went 7-for-9 from the free-throw line, and his team needed every rebound as they hung on for the victory.
That looks like exactly the right player to bring up as a replacement for Mitchell Robinson, a beast on the glass who rules the paint. And Reed's draft stock has him projected for the early second round -- where the Knicks just so happen to hold the second pick of the second round courtesy of the Washington Wizards.
The Knicks could find a way to bring Robinson back; he has been extremely important for them over the past few seasons. If they need to move on, however, a ready-made replacement just announced he is ready to start knocking heads around in the NBA.