The Knicks won the title. Now the hard part starts.
Mitchell Robinson’s future in New York is one of the messiest decisions of the offseason. The 28-year-old center has a $14.3 million player option for next season, an injury history that gets worse every year, and a market that is actively trying to lure him away.
If you watched the Knicks championship run, you know how valuable Robinson can be at his best. He averaged 8.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in the playoffs when healthy. He gave Mike Brown the ability to play two-big lineups against Wembanyama in the Finals. Without him, the Knicks do not beat San Antonio.
Without him is also where the Knicks have been for most of the last three seasons. Robinson played only 17 regular-season games this year. He missed all of last year’s playoffs. He has not played a full healthy season since 2020-21.
That is the problem. The Knicks have to decide whether they are paying for the player who exists on the court or the player who is theoretically supposed to be on the court.
League sources tell ESPN that Robinson is leaning toward opting out of his deal. That sounds risky given his injury history, but he has reasons. The center market this summer is thin. Teams like the Pistons, Pacers, Jazz, and Wizards all need a starting center and have cap room to throw at the position. Robinson could realistically get a three-year, $54 million deal somewhere.
Could the Knicks match? Yes. Should they? That is the real question.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the franchise’s long-term center. He just won a title playing significant minutes at the five. The Knicks paid him $58 million this season and he is on the books for $61.5 million next year. New York cannot afford to give Robinson big money to play 17 games a season as a backup.
The compromise might be a two-year deal at a discount with team options. Robinson stays as a championship insurance policy. The Knicks get the rebounding and rim protection in the playoffs when it matters most. Everybody pretends they did not have a long uncomfortable conversation about it in late June.
The other path is that Robinson takes the player option, plays out next year, and re-enters free agency healthier. That preserves the Knicks’ flexibility and lets Robinson chase a bigger payday later. Some agents around the league think that is the smarter move.
Either way, the Knicks have to plan for life with less of Robinson, not more. KAT needs more minutes at the five. Precious Achiuwa is a free agent of his own. The bench is thin. New York may need to use the mid-level exception on a veteran backup center just in case.
This is what running a champion looks like. The Knicks are no longer chasing. They are protecting. Mitchell Robinson has been a part of New York basketball since the rebuild started. The hope is he gets to be a part of the next chapter too, healthy and finally back at full strength.
The decision is coming. June 23 is the deadline. The Knicks will know one way or the other very soon.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
