Although the New York Knicks are in the midst of a stellar season, it wouldn’t be the Big Apple without major grumbling from the media and fanbase. The Knicks have a couple of legitimate weaknesses, including their questionable defense at key positions. Most concerning, however, is their lack of depth beyond the starting five. This has resulted in three straight losses where New York clearly ran out of gas in the second half. Unfortunately, the depth dilemma may end in the Knicks trading their lockdown defensive center, Mitchell Robinson.
Pros And Cons Of Knicks Trading Mitchell Robinson
There Are Compelling Reasons For Both Sides
Perhaps the most divisive debate in Knicks country is whether to move on from Robinson. Theoretically, the Knicks could trade his $14.3M salary for role players who are available now and more reliable going forward. Robinson is under contract for two more seasons, at $14.3 million for this year and $12.9 million next year.
NY has few tradable contracts because of their top-heavy cap sheet, with five players making over $18 million. A Robinson deal could be paired with another small contract like Jericho Sims in exchange for depth or a healthy center.
Pros: Extra Depth Now, Injury Risk, Spacing Concerns
The primary reason why Robinson is on the trade block, at least in the fans’ eyes, is his never-ending injury saga and the damage it is doing to the Knicks current group. New York has had the worst bench production in the NBA this year, and the starters are clearly worn out. Their lack of roster balance is hurting the team and needs a fix somehow. Thibodeau finding faith in rookie role players could be a solution, but he seems very unwilling to do that. Moving Robinson for a backup center or multiple bench guys would help the team navigate the regular season.
Not only would it help the Knicks now, but relying on Robinson to be healthy for the stretch run is also a coin flip. He has been a historically injury-prone player, and New York doesn’t have years to waste.
Lastly, although he elevates NY’s ceiling when he is healthy, Robinson will never crack the finishing lineup. New York’s starting and ending five is set, meaning the big man will never play more than around 20-22 minutes in a big game. While he is a great screen setter and lob threat, the lack of shooting ability hurts their offense’s spacing. The entire point of acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns was to spread the floor and run five-out offense with Jalen Brunson as the focal point.
To be clear, the Knicks are much better with Robinson in the rotation. They might just not be able to wait for his return.
Cons: Defense, Thibs’ Identity, Knicks Lifer, Value
There are several reasons why New York should hang onto the 26-year-old. First, he gives the team a defensive ceiling it doesn’t have currently without his rim protection. Robinson is not only a dominant defender, he is extremely versatile. He will fix New York’s pick-and-roll defense while he’s on the floor, regardless of the four players around him. He allows the Knicks to run a “switch-everything” lineup they are best with after acquiring Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
Robinson also embodies the culture Tom Thibodeau has instilled into this perennially soft franchise. He brings toughness, heart, and hustle, while also being one of the league’s elite rim protectors and rebounders. With Robinson on the floor next to Towns, the Knicks instantly become the best rebounding squad in the NBA. New York desperately needs Mitch for certain playoff matchups, as he is one of the few defenders who can credibly matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jarrett Allen, or Joel Embiid (See his 2023 series vs. CLE or 2024 vs. PHI).
Mitchell Robinson; more offensive boards and defending the MVP.
Get this, Joel Embiid was 12-34 (35%) from the field when guarded by Mitch. Mitch also led the series in offensive rebounds despite only playing 5/6 games and playing 37 fewer minutes than any other rotation player. pic.twitter.com/QY8luXTsBm
— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) May 4, 2024
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Much of the fanbase would be devastated to see the 2018 Knick draft pick walk out the door. He is the longest tenured Knick by several years, and represents everything NYC loves about its team.
All-in-all, losing Robinson would be a tough blow for the roster in many ways. New York should be careful that they are getting fair trade value for him in return.
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