New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is a fan favorite and one of the most beloved figures in the locker room. On the court, he's nothing short of a needle-moving player whose defensive versatility and offensive rebounding put teams in a bind on both ends of the floor.
Unfortunately, Robinson is in the final season of his current contract, the Knicks are strapped for cash, and a checkered injury history has many questioning if re-signing the big man is a wise goal.
New York will owe $191,724,154 to OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns for the 2026-27 season. Factoring in Guerschon Yabusele's $5,775,000 player option, the $3,956,523 paid to Miles McBride, the $2,983,680 Pacome Diadet will make, and the $2,191,897 that Tyler Kolek is due, the Knicks will be clearing $200 million in salary before factoring in Robinson's potential new deal.
Thankfully, Matt Moore of FanSided is reporting that a potentially ideal trade target is the Dallas Mavericks' "most likely trade candidate:" Daniel Gafford.
"Daniel Gafford is the most likely trade candidate. The Mavericks have Derek Lively as their future big. Gafford had a great three-month run with the Mavericks in 2024 where he looked like Rudy Gobert in terms of rim protection and has settled back into being Daniel Gafford."
If that proves to be the case, the Knicks could realistically answer the question of how to proceed with Robinson by swapping him and at least one other player for Gafford.
Mitchell Robinson's injury woes, expiring contract put future in question
A trade for Gafford would likely require New York to include Robinson and Yabusele, if not Tyler Kolek and a pick, as well. There's certainly an argument for that being a steep price to pay, but matching salaries isn't quite as easy as simply completing a one-for-one trade.
Gafford is making $17,263,584 in the first season of a three-year, $54,380,290 contract that will keep him generally within that range across the length of his deal.
It'd be a difficult cost to stomach considering how financially limited the Knicks already are, but it'd also resolve the issue of finding a long-term answer at center. In addition to playing on an expiring contract, Robinson missed 23 games in 2022-23, 51 in 2023-24, 65 in 2024-25, and has already missed six of the Knicks' first 14 outings in 2025-26.
Gafford's admittedly had his share of injuries, but he played at least 72 games in every season between 2021-22 and 2023-24, and was available for 57 in 2024-25.
That alone offers reason to prefer paying Gafford for two-and-a-half seasons over risking a new deal for Robinson that may cost New York a shot at a title if his availability issues persist. Dallas, meanwhile, might be willing to overlook said concerns due to its ability to create cap relief with Robinson's expiring contract.
As far as what the on-court elements of this trade would be, Gafford offers similar value as a rim runner, offensive rebounder, and rim protector with the athleticism to switch off of screens.
Daniel Gafford offers similar value with benefit of postseason experience
Gafford's career averages translate to 16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.9 offensive boards, 2.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals per 36 minutes. That high-level production accurately depicts what he brings to the table as a top-tier shot-blocker and force of nature on the offensive glass.
The Dallas Mavericks learned exactly how much of an impact Gafford can make on a winning team when he started 22 playoff games during their run to the 2024 NBA Finals.
There's no such thing as an identical swap, of course, but Gafford's strengths align with Robinson's. Factoring in a better track record with injuries, championship round experience, and the long-term nature of his contract, there's reason to at least consider this potential deal.
Trading Robinson would be a difficult pill to swallow, but the Knicks could protect their financial future and solidify the interior for the next three seasons with a swap for Gafford.