The New York Knicks’ biggest area to address at the trade deadline will be bench depth. They are dead last in bench points per game and have little to no insurance for the starters when they need a rest.
Not having the services of Mitchell Robinson has been a big reason for that lack of depth. The seven-footer has yet to play a game this season as he continues his recovery from offseason ankle surgery.
Mock trade has the Knicks trading Mitchell Robinson to Bulls for haul of role players
The lack of availability has sparked some speculation that the Knicks could decide to move on from the oft-injured center in exchange for durable bench pieces to give them more depth. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report suggested a mock trade that would give the Knicks some key role players from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Robinson:
• Knicks receive: F Torrey Craig, G Jevon Carter, F Chris Duarte, 2025 second-round pick (via Sacramento Kings)
• Bulls receive: C Mitchell Robinson
“The Knicks should use the salary of the injured Robinson to try to collect some additional depth before head coach Tom Thibodeau runs his starters into the ground,” Swartz wrote. “Craig is a 6’7″ forward who’s making 42.9 percent of his threes for the Bulls this season. Carter is a solid defender, and Duarte, 27, also shoots 42.9 percent from deep.”
The pros and cons of doing this mock trade
Doing this trade would have its pros and cons. As for how this would benefit the Knicks, it would give them an array of cheap bench options that are all capable of being consistent rotation players while also addressing the need for additional bench scoring.
Also, it would give the Knicks some separation from the second apron by getting off of Robinson’s contract. The big man is currently in the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract.
The downside to doing this trade is that the Knicks would lose a ton of rim protection, and their bench unit would be fairly undersized. Precious Achiuwa has done a fine job as the backup center, but it is not the most ideal rim protection scenario given that he is only 6-8.
Robinson provides stupendous rim protection while also being an exceptional offensive rebounder, and New York would be sacrificing those to address the scoring needs. However, as the saying goes, the best ability is availability and Robinson has simply not been available enough over the past two seasons.
The Knicks will have some tough decisions to make by the trade deadline, and those decisions could determine Robinson’s fate in New York.