Mitchell Robinson is going to be a popular trade candidate this offseason, but if the New York Knicks are smart, they’ll go in the exact opposite direction…and sign him to a new contract.
The 27-year-old big man is eligible for an extension this summer that can max out at four years, and $81.3 million. If he were to sign it, he’d be locked in through 2029-30, his age-31 season.
This timing couldn’t be better. Tacking on another four seasons to his deal runs right through the heart of his prime. Robinson has injury concerns now, of course, but his contract would end before New York has to worry about him hitting a regressive curve.
What’s more, the money skews toward team-friendly. When including next season, a max extension puts Robinson on the books for a total of five years and $94.3 million. That is an average annual value of $18.9 million. For reference, if that’s what he were making next season, he’d be the 15th highest-paid center in the league. And that’s without factoring in eventual deals for Myles Turner and Brook Lopez.
That pricing feels about right for the value Robinson brings to these Knicks. Better still, there’s a chance his injury history works in New York’s favor during negotiations.
Mitchell Robinson might extend with the Knicks for less
The Knicks are wary of trading Karl-Anthony Towns to land Kevin Durant for the exact same reason they have leverage in extension talks with Robinson: his injury history.
New York’s big man missed most of the 2024-25 campaign while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. It would be one thing if that absence were a blip on the radar. But it’s closer to the norm.
Over the past half-decade, Robinson has averaged close to 40 missed games per year. He has also never cleared 30 minutes per game for an entire season, and has only ever hit 25 minutes per game while making at least 60 appearances once.
Flipping Towns for KD is a risky (theoretical) gambit because of reservations over Robinson’s durability. The Knicks would need to add another big man—or two. Those concerns don’t go away if Towns remains on the roster. Robinson will still have a checkered health bill, and New York will still need at least one other big to complete its rotation.
All of which could drive Robinson’s price tag down. Sure, he could roll the dice, and enter free agency next summer, where there will be more than one team with cap space. But his injury history won’t suddenly disappear on the open market. And even if suitors aren’t worried about his health, his modest minutes totals will forever loom.
Does this mean Robinson would accept an identical deal to the one he’s currently finishing, which came in at four years, and $60 million? Probably not. Almost definitely not. Then again, who knows?
Locking down Mitchell Robinson makes more sense than trading him
Almost regardless of where the final price settles, extending Robinson makes way more sense for the Knicks than trading him. Defensive linchpins who dominate the offensive glass don’t grow on threes, and replacing him isn’t a matter of just plopping any ol’ seven-footer onto the roster. Few players his size can do this:
i regret every mitchell robinson fake trade i ever proposed pic.twitter.com/e6LP6pmqQL
— Dan Favale (@danfavale) May 17, 2025
New York has proof of concept with Robison, including alongside Towns. They did not play together a ton this year, but the Knicks outscored opponents by 8.33 points per 100 possessions across the playoffs and regular season when they did.
Beyond that, Robinson has more value to the team as a contributor than a trade asset. His 2025-26 salary is so low ($13 million) that he’s not bringing back anything special on his own. Potential suitors will also hold back on how much they give up to get him because of his injury history and impending free agency.
There is likewise a chance Robinson’s big-picture trade value increases on a new deal. If he’s under contract at a reasonable rate, he becomes much more attractive to the outside world when he’s healthy.
So any way you slice it, the Knicks are better off keeping Robinson rather than moving him. Here’s hoping they realize it in time to lock him down before he reaches free agency.