At 50-32, the New York Knicks had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference in 2023-24. The team was dealing with injuries in the postseason but they still made it to the second-round. However, the Knicks lost Game 7 at home, 130-109 to the Pacers.
Last season, the Knicks had to deal with several injuries that seriously impacted the season. One of them was starting center Mitchell Robinson. The 26-year-old played in just 31 games for New York last season. While Robinson missed significant time, backup center Isaiah Hartenstien filled his role seamlessly. Eventually, Hartenstein proved he could be useful on offense, something Mitchell Robinson didn’t do much of. That’s why the Knicks are listening to calls from teams interested in Robinson this offseason.
Will the Knicks trade Mitchell Robinson?
The Knicks have contacted opposing teams about trading Mitchell Robinson, per @JakeLFischer
“Hartenstein, at this moment, is now generally expected to return to New York, as the Knicks have contacted opposing teams about moving Mitchell Robinson, sources said. There appears to… pic.twitter.com/rfXvUoVlQf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 21, 2024
In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Knicks used a second-round pick to draft Mitchell Robinson out of Western Kentucky. The seven-footer has played all six of his professional seasons with New York. As a second-round pick, the Knicks knew that Robinson had some skills he needed to work on. However, Robinson hasn’t progressed nearly as much as the Knicks would have liked by now. For his career, the big man averages (8.0) points, (7.9) rebounds, and (1.9) blocks per game.
When Mitchell Robinson went down this season, Isaiah Hartenstein became the Knicks’ starting center. Hartenstein played in 75 of New York’s 82 games last season and made 49 starts. He averaged (7.8) points, (8.3) rebounds, (2.5) assists, (1.2) steals, and (1.1) blocks per game. There were rumors this offseason that the Thunder were going to try and trade for Hartenstein. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, there is a growing belief that the Knicks will retain Hartenstein this offseason.
Heard something similar to the Yahoo report on NYK’s Mitchell Robinson. In NYK talks about potential trades, Robinson’s name has come up. Don’t think NYK is fully committed to moving him but his salary (2 years left on 4-year $60M descending contract) is valuable potential deals
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 21, 2024
Mitchell Robinson is not going to be the only big man available for trade this offseason. We’ll have to see if the Knicks can find any suitors who would want Robinson. On certain teams, he would be a starter. However, Robinson’s days as a starter in the NBA could be over. If the Knicks can’t find a trade partner, Robinson will likely come off the bench for the team in 2024-25. Isaiah Hartenstein has proved that he’s a better fit in the starting lineup.
