Though all eyes may currently be directed at the ill-fitting partnership of Guerschon Yabusele and the New York Knicks, and how the two are believed to be heading for a premature, in-season parting of ways before the February 5 trade deadline, lost in this particular situation's shadow is the very real possibility that Mitchell Robinson may be on his way out as well.
During a recent edition of SNY's The Putback, NBA Insider Ian Begley discussed the "forward-thinking thought process" Leon Rose could be approaching this year's trade season with, and how someone like Robinson may very well be a goner in this coming summer's free agency period as is.
With this in mind, Begley believes that in an attempt not to wind up losing him for nothing in the offseason, dealing the big man ahead of the trade deadline could be strongly considered by Rose and company.
"It would be naïve to say that the Knicks don't have an eye on the offseason and what's potentially next for Mitchell Robinson at this trade deadline. If there's a move there where you can bolster your frontcourt and you put Mitchell Robinson in a deal, I think that would be on the table for New York," Begley said.
Knicks may be quietly looking to trade Mitchell Robinson at deadline
As Begley noted in the podcast episode, the aim for the Knicks is to win a championship this year, and that any trade they make this season will be in an effort to upgrade their rotation.
With this, while offloading someone like Yabusele may seem like a no-brainer due to the fact that it would free up extra minutes for other, more productive players on New York's depth chart, from a return standpoint, he's not someone who will net them anything valuable in an exchange.
Because of this, dangling Robinson, someone Begley acknowledged the Knicks "love" and "who's incredibly talented," might be their best approach to landing a difference-maker on the trade market.
Even with his injury history, the 27-year-old could still be viewed as an enticing target for other playoff-hopefuls who are searching for more frontcourt depth and added intensity down in the paint.
Keep in mind that not only is Robinson one of the league's most ferocious rim protectors (averages 3.7 blocks per 100 possessions for his career), but he is truly one of its premier rebounders, particularly on the offensive glass, where he's individually pulling down more second-chance opportunities on a per 100 basis than the vast majority of teams.
With every passing day over these next three weeks leading into the deadline, New York's plan for this year's trade season is only bound to gradually become clearer.
All we truly know at this point is that if the Knicks do make a move, it will be to upgrade their talent pool, which, in all likelihood, will require more than Yabusele being discarded.
To Begley, this means Robinson may be someone the front office might consider shopping around.