The New York Knicks had every reason to move Mitchell Robinson at the 2025 and 2026 NBA trade deadlines. Injuries robbed Robinson of his general availability during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, and his team-friendly contract was a weapon New York could've wielded in negotiations.
The Knicks ultimately opted to stand by Robinson during his trying times, however, and he's rewarding their patience with a tremendous 2025-26 season.
Robinson has appeared in 49 of a possible 68 games, which is a dramatic improvement over the 48 appearances he made over 164 games between 2023-24 and 2024-25. That’s further contextualized by the fact that he missed six of the Knicks' first 10 games in 2025-26, meaning he's appeared in 43 of 58 outings since.
Furthermore, Robinson has only missed consecutive games once since Oct. 28—an ideal fact that suggests his health isn’t a daunting issue anymore.
Finally generally healthy again, Robinson has been exactly as Knicks fans remembered him. He's dominating the offensive glass, tormenting teams as a shot-blocker, and offering underrated value as a dive man via pick and roll sets.
Unrestricted free agency may be looming large, but Robinson has elevated the Knicks to new heights since returning late in 2024-25 and is building upon that success in 2025-26.
Mitchell Robinson proves Knicks right for not trading him
Robinson is currently averaging 5.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.4 offensive rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 0.8 steals in just 19.5 minutes per game. Those numbers translate to awe-inspiring marks of 9.8 points, 16.3 rebounds, 8.1 offensive rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per 36 minutes.
That alone provides invaluable insight into how essential Robinson has been to the Knicks' success on both ends of the floor this season.
Robinson's most recent outing was perhaps the most impressive he's produced all season. He tallied 12 points, a career-high 22 rebounds, nine offensive rebounds, two blocks, and two steals on 6-of-10 shooting as the Knicks secured a 101-92 win over the rival Indiana Pacers.
It was a signature performance from a player who ranks among the most dominant rebounding and defending forces in the NBA when healthy.
DPOG 🦺 BIG MITCH 😤 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/7s3SX3LexH
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 14, 2026
Thankfully, health has been on Robinson's side up to this point in the season. In turn, calls for a trade have been met with confirmation that New York has the player it needs to take the next step toward contending again.
That much is further established by the fact that the Knicks rank in the 78th percentile in net rating and the 92nd percentile in offensive rating when Robinson is on the court, per Cleaning the Glass.
Difficult decisions await nevertheless, as Robinson will have the option to sign with any team he chooses this summer. A potentially lucrative contract could thus be in his future, which would inevitably challenge New York to determine the appropriate compensation for his talents given his injury history.
In terms of the championship pursuit in 2025-26, however, Robinson has been unequivocally invaluable and has rewarded the Knicks for their patience.