New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has made a strong impact since returning from offseason ankle surgery. The injury caused him to miss the first 58 games of the season, and his injury troubles caused his name to get floated around in trade rumors.
Knicks could move Mitchell Robinson in the summer
Ultimately, he stayed put past the trade deadline and is now their backup center the rest of the way. While he is a great presence underneath the basket and on the defensive side, New York could still pursue more durable pieces in the offseason.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Knicks could shop Robinson in the offseason and put him back on the trade block.
“Robinson on a $12.9 million expiring deal has to be the first name on the docket. The New York Knicks otherwise lack real matching salary — unless you think they’ll break up the remaining three Villanova Wildcats, move OG Anunoby or consider cutting bait on the Karl-Anthony Towns experiment,” Favale wrote.
The Knicks are very close to being at the second apron, so if they want to make any meaningful additions in the offseason, they’re going to have to move some contracts out. Robinson’s would make the most sense given his injury history, as he has missed at least 50 regular season games in each of the last two seasons.
The Knicks need to address the lack of bench scoring
Robinson could be used to acquire key bench depth for the Knicks, as they lack pure scoring in the second unit. They rank dead last in bench points and have very little shot creation from their backcourt, so it may be in their best interest to pursue a player who can score at a high level.
Moving Robinson can have its downsides, as he is their defensive anchor and paint patroller. He has been even more crucial given the lack of imposing defense Towns provides. However, the best ability is availability, and at times it can seem like he is a ticking time bomb waiting for another major injury to occur.
Regardless of what the Knicks decide to do with Robinson this summer, bringing in bench depth will be a must this offseason.