The New York Knicks have gotten off to a decent start this season by establishing a 5-3 record and winning their last three games. Their offense is starting to look robust, and they’re looking to build some defensive toughness and prowess.
One change that new head coach Mike Brown has made is moving center Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and sliding All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the 4 spot. It has given New York’s starting five more size and strength, as well as greater rebounding and shot-blocking abilities.
But one thing hanging over the organization’s head is Robinson’s contract status. He’s in the final year of a deal that will pay him nearly $13 million this season, and according to Ian Begley of SportsNet New York, the Knicks haven’t really talked to Robinson about a contract extension.
“The most likely path here is now, with Mitchell Robinson not having the extension going into the season, hitting free agency and then seeing what the market is like,” Begley said.
“There’s going to be teams with cap space. If he’s healthy, he’s going to be very attractive on that open market. Maybe the Knicks surprise me, and they do get a deal done in-season…
“If he has this impact on the floor when he’s healthy, even though the Knicks are limiting him, teams know what he can do and he’s continuing to show it.”
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Robinson is valuable to the Knicks because of his ability to rebound and protect the rim. So far this season, he’s averaging four points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 16.3 minutes a game, and in addition to everything else, he’s a strong finisher offensively at the rim.
However, he has always been injury-prone, and he has appeared in just three of their eight games so far. It makes sense that the Knicks are hesitant to make a long-term commitment to the 27-year-old Robinson because of his inability to stay healthy, if in fact that is why they haven’t talked about an extension with him.
In the previous two seasons, he played in only 48 of a possible 164 games. He has played in over 66 games in a single season just once since entering the NBA seven years ago. He has spent his whole career with the Knicks after they took him in the second round of the 2018 draft.
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If Robinson misses a lot of games this season yet again, it could limit the amount of money he could get on the open market, which could make it easier for New York to retain him on a new contract if it wants to. But there could be better options for the team, either in free agency or on the trade market.
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