The Knicks made a smart decision to present an offer sheet to restricted free agent center Moussa Cisse. Although the Mavericks matched it, it was still a high-upside move made in the hope that Dallas would allow him to move on, considering that its roster is already filled with centers.
Meanwhile, New York is still looking for a third big man to add to its roster behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. There isn’t much available in free agency—Nick Richards might be the top name, and that isn’t saying much—so the Knicks could look to internal options. One of those is Trey Jemison III, who was on a two-way contract with the team throughout last season.
Another could be Liam Robbins, fresh off a strong finish for the Knicks in the summer league. He can help replace at least some of the shot-blocking that the team lost when Mitchell Robinson signed with the Celtics.
Robbins can help a team that rarely blocks shots
Standing 7 feet tall, the 27-year-old Robbins got off to a rough start in his first two summer league outings, as did the team as a whole. In his final three games, though, Robbins averaged 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. He even knocked down two 3-pointers.
Even with Robinson, the Knicks finished second-to-last in the league in blocks last season. While Karl-Anthony Towns worked effortlessly to change the narrative that he is a lackluster defender, his 0.5 blocks per game in 2025–26 were a career low.
Blocking shots is a skill that Robbins showcased at the college level. His 82 blocks as a senior at Vanderbilt in 2022–23 led the SEC, and he was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Despite this, Robbins did not hear his name called during the 2023 NBA Draft.
Robbins had a cup of coffee at the NBA level, appearing in 13 games for a total of just 57 minutes with the Bucks in 2024–25. The team signed Robbins to a two-way deal before the season began, but he was waived from that deal in late February 2025.
Last season, Robbins was rostered by the Rip City Remix of the G League. In 32 total regular-season and Tip-Off Tournament appearances, he blocked 34 shots and connected on 24 3-pointers.
The Knicks have yet to officially fill any of their two-way spots, although Tyler Nickel and Jack Khyil could be earmarked for them—if neither is signed to a standard deal—after both were selected in the second round of June’s draft. New York has one open roster spot, which many believe could go to a third big man.
Robbins—or Jemison—could be an option for that final roster spot to help address the team’s shot-blocking weakness. Even if the Knicks go in another direction, agreeing to a two-way contract with Robbins wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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