JULY 12: The signing is official, the team tweets.
JULY 1: The Knicks are bringing back unrestricted free agent center Mitchell Robinson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith that Robinson has agreed to a four-year, $60MM deal to remain in New York.
Robinson, 24, has spent his first four NBA seasons with the Knicks after being selected 36th overall in the 2018 draft. He emerged in 2021/22 as the team’s regular starting center, averaging 8.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 72 appearances (25.7 MPG), including 62 starts.
Robinson has made 72.2% of his career field goal attempts, including 76.1% in ’21/22, but doesn’t have an expansive offensive game, averaging just 4.8 field goal attempts per contest this past season.
The big man has conveyed some dissatisfaction with his limited offensive role in the past and didn’t agree to an in-season extension with the Knicks, prompting some speculation that he could end up elsewhere once he reached the open market. However, there were a number of reasons why it made sense for New York to bring him back.
For one, at age 24, Robinson was one of this summer’s youngest unrestricted free agents and still has room to grow. His athleticism and ability as a lob threat also bring a different dimension to the Knicks’ frontcourt than incoming center Isaiah Hartenstein will provide. Plus, his minimum-salary cap hold gives New York the flexibility to use up its cap room before going over the cap to re-sign him using his Bird rights.
The Bulls and Pistons were among the teams said to have interest in Robinson in the weeks leading up to free agency, but Chicago went for a lower-cost center in Andre Drummond, while Detroit landed rookie Jalen Duren in a draft-night trade. The Raptors also had interest in Robinson, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), but the Knicks had been confident in recent days that they’d be able to re-sign him.
Jake Fischer first reported earlier this week that Robinson was expected to return to New York on a four-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $60MM.
He got paid. As a Knicks fan, not sure how I feel about this one. Like him, but at $15M per he needs to be on the floor more often than he has in the past.
Agreed. That and from a trade value standpoint – is he a guy who a contender would think can close a game in the playoffs?
Seems like a contract that could be on par with Fournier’s and Noel’s sooner than later.
And if he’s dragging defenders to the paint by basically chilling in the dunker’s spot – where is the spacing for Brunson?
The Knicks just need to focus on actually getting him the ball and maximizing his value. If they do that, he’s worth it. If not, he’s not.
And in the long run, that probably means saying goodbye to Thibs, whom they should’ve fired already, and figuring out a way to trade Randle.
You can say the same about zion and his contract is 133 mill more. At 15 mill as well he is a tradeable asset In the future if needed
Talent is there, smarts are not right now. I would have thought he would have improved that under Thibs, the fact that it hasn’t is a little concerning.
Also, with Sims and Hartenstein in tow, the Knicks have created a bit of a logjam at the five. The good is that it likely means the end of Gibson.
The lineup still doesn’t look like more than a fringe playoff team:
PG – Brunson, Rose, Quikley
SG – Fournier, Grimes, McBride
SF – Barrett, Reddish
PF – Randle, Toppin
C – Robinson, Hartenstein, Sims
Feels like if the Knicks don’t additional and/or drastic moves, this is another wasted offseason.
Good positional balance but still a very mediocre team with a below average coach and that has no creative offensive schemes.
The season hinges on two things:
Two to three of IQ, Toppin, Barrett, Grimes, Reddish, and McBride coming back significantly improved
And
Thibs actually being willing to play them
If not this roster is play-in level barring any other major moves.
There’s a big trade coming it feels like…probably just waiting on Mitchell to say the word…if they can get him for Sims, Quickley, and Randle and 3 firsts….I want Toppin starting
Brunson & Spida are a minuscule backcourt. Def more exciting than what’s there now though
Jazz are not doing that if they have to take on Randle’s contract.
Lobinstein in effect at the 5!
It will take two different defenses to contain it!
Unless Randle mopes again.
Back to reality.
Mitch needs to develop a mid range shot…would like to see him get into 14 and 10 averages…
If only…
Guy can’t hit a mid range jump shot consistently and can’t shoot free throws and he’s getting $15m a year. God bless America.
Agreed, there’s just zero creativity with this FO. Should have let Rob walk and saved the money and drafted Williams or Duren who can offer the same skill set but a higher potential ceiling. Overpay Hartenstein, now Sims is stuck, Toppin stuck. Seems like another deal would make sense but this FO is lame.
Hartenstein is not an overpay. They paid that much because his market bore that out. And that is because when he is on the court, he’s great. I know you’re down on the signing but when Mitch gets injured and Hartenstein starts logging significant minutes, you’ll see.
Also, check out what people (not Twitter) are saying about the Hartenstein signing. People love it and with good reason.
It’s a good signing because Robinson will unfortunately get injured and I think there could be an argument on whether it’s an overpay.
Hartenstein gives you 18 minutes a game of near-All Star level play. For $8M. Double that, and you have 36 minutes per game of near-All Star play for $16M. For 36 minutes, 17 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 blocks, .645 eFG%, and 5 assists, the latter of which is huge. It seems like a bargain.
Hope so. Hartenstein signed for the Vets minimum last year. He had a good year playing for Ty Lue and the Clips let him walk. All star seems like a bit of a stretch and Thibs is not Ty Lue, Thibs likes Taj Gibson. Remember when Austin Rivers signed…we will see.
So you think Gobert should be paid peanuts? Obviously Mitch isn’t on his level, but as a rim-running option he is far superior (when he actually gets the ball) and he’s still getting paid far less than Gobert is.
How about Capella? Allen? Etc.
All about health with Mitch. He’s a very consistent contributor when he’s physically right. People need to stop with the overpay silliness. No such thing for a FA signing against the backdrop of the FA market. The only other direction they could have gone in was to keep Noel. He’s injury prone as well, as are a lot of other big men.