The Knicks are entering a window in which they hope to compete for multiple championships. At some point, they may be forced to make some difficult financial decisions as their roster gets more expensive. Among those decisions is the future of Mitchell Robinson. If they do opt to move off Robinson to give them some cap wiggle room, his replacement may already be on the roster: Ariel Hukporti, who Robinson has been mentoring.
Robinson is the Knicks' longest-tenured player. It feels like his name comes up in trade rumors every season. Most of it stems from his inability to stay healthy consistently throughout his career. That said, when he has been on the court, his production is undeniable.
You would be hard-pressed to find a player who can impact the game on the glass more than Robinson does. He is one of the elite per-minute rebounders in the league, specifically on the offensive glass. On top of that, he is an elite rim protector and showed in the playoffs that he has the ability to switch and guard on the perimeter as well.
If the Knicks do choose to move off of him, aside from the financial implications, it is because the Knicks believe Hukporti can replicate some of the production Robinson gave them at a fraction of the price.
Hukporti has been shaping his game after Robinson
Hukporti credits Robinson for shaping his rebounding on the offensive glass. Speaking to the NBL, Hukporti said, "I've been watching Mitchell Robinson, he gave me a lot of tips. Obviously, he is an offensive beast when it comes to offensive rebounds… I just looked at him and was like, ‘How can I help the team in that way?’”
Listening to Hukporti speak, it is clear that he understands his path to minutes. He has to dominate on the glass while doing all of the impactful things that Robinson does on the defensive end of the floor. Hukporti also has good touch and is a smart passer, something that might intrigue new head coach Mike Brown.
Brown has a history of loving using bigs as offensive passing hubs. He did it with Draymond Green while he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. More recently, the Sacramento Kings' offense centered around using Domantas Sabonis as a hub for their guards and wings to play off of.
Hukporti put his rebounding talents on display in the Knicks' recent summer league game against the Boston Celtics, snagging a total of 13 boards, with six coming on the offensive glass.