Mitchell Robinson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz In No Rush To Move Mitchell, Expected To Reengage With Knicks

July 18th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

After engaging in trade talks with the Knicks about Donovan Mitchell last week, the Jazz aren’t in any rush to make a deal before further gauging his value around the NBA, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday during an appearance on Get Up (video link).

“I think for the Jazz, they go out now around the league and see what else is out there for Donovan Mitchell, get a sense of what the market is, what teams are willing to do,” Wojnarowski said. “And I do think the Knicks and the Jazz will reengage at some point. Maybe it’s this week, maybe it’s next week, maybe it’s in two or three weeks. But the Jazz are not going to necessarily move quickly.”

As Wojnarowski observes, Utah’s Rudy Gobert trade discussions played out over multiple weeks – or even months – before the Jazz received an offer they couldn’t refuse from Minnesota. Although the Knicks are motivated to land Mitchell, according to Woj, they also don’t want to “just give up everything” to land him.

“Utah and New York talked last week, and I think the Jazz got a sense of what New York might be willing to do,” Wojnarowski said. “It’s not just one particular deal — I think there’s options. It’s almost like a sliding scale. The more players you put in a deal, the less draft picks you want to give up. The more draft assets you put in a deal, you want to put less players in. If you’re the Jazz, ‘I want the players and I want the picks,’ so that’s where it starts.”

Here’s more on Mitchell:

Wojnarowski said during his Get Up appearance that the Jazz are significantly more interested in the Knicks’ own first-round picks than the ones New York can offer from other teams. “People talk about (the Knicks being able to trade) seven or eight (first-round) picks. A lot of those picks are conditional, protected picks that are coming from places like Detroit and Washington,” Wojnarowski said. “The Jazz certainly don’t value those the way they do New York’s unprotected picks.”
During early discussions between the Jazz and Knicks, Utah asked about a package that would’ve included RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, other players, and at least three first-round picks, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Robinson has since come off the table after officially re-signing with New York, but it’s a moot point — the Knicks felt Utah’s asking price was too high and wouldn’t have met it anyway, Begley writes, adding that he believes the Knicks have the draft capital necessary to get a Mitchell deal done without including Barrett.
Some members of the Knicks’ organization still felt the Jazz’s asking price was too high during the more recent talks between two teams, Begley writes. Those Knicks executives felt as if they had made competitive offers and wanted to leave it at that, rather than continuing to sweeten the pot for Utah.

Knicks Notes: Mitchell, Barrett, Brunson, Hartenstein, Robinson

July 13th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks don’t view their newly announced signing of Jalen Brunson as an impediment to a potential pursuit of Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. As Fischer explains, the team believes that the addition of Brunson is a “key ingredient” in its plan of adding a legitimate All-Star to the roster, since the former Maverick is the sort of table-setter and secondary scorer whom a star would want to play alongside.

While the Knicks have stockpiled a number of extra future draft picks, it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll be able to put together the sort of trade package the Jazz can’t refuse for Mitchell. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes, Utah would almost certainly push for New York to include former No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, who has All-Star upside.

Vaccaro argues that the Knicks should be willing to give up Barrett for a player like Mitchell, who is already an All-Star, but it’s unclear how significantly the Jazz value the former Duke standout, how inclined New York is to include him an offer, and how many more assets Utah would want in addition to Barrett.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Brunson’s four-year, $104MM deal with the Knicks has a descending structure, beginning at $27.7MM in year one and eventually dipping to $24.9MM in years three and four, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brunson also got a 10% trade kicker to go along with his fourth-player option, a source tells Katz.
Isaiah Hartenstein has $16MM in guaranteed money on his two-year contract with the Knicks, along with a 5% trade kicker and $1.05MM in annual unlikely incentives, according to Katz (Twitter links). Hartenstein has three separate bonuses worth $350K apiece for playing at least 1,350 regular season minutes, the Knicks winning at least 40 games, and the Knicks making the playoffs, Katz adds.
Like Brunson’s new contract, Mitchell Robinson‘s four-year, $60MM pact has a descending structure, according to Katz (Twitter link). The deal, which doesn’t feature any options or a trade kicker, begins at $17MM in 2022/23 and decreases to $13MM in ’25/26.

Knicks Sign Mitchell Robinson To Four-Year Contract

July 12th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Knicks Notes: Sims, Robinson, Diop, Hartenstein

July 11th, 2022 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Jericho Sims has shown so far during the Las Vegas Summer League why the Knicks were willing to give him a new three-year deal this offseason, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. In addition to averaging a double-double (13.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG) in his first two Summer League games, Sims has displayed intriguing mobility and play-making ability, putting the ball on the floor and bringing it up the court himself after grabbing rebounds.

“I’ve been working on pushing the ball in transition a little bit, trying to get more comfortable doing that again, making the right reads,” he said, per Braziller.

Sims’ three-year contract is worth just $2,000 above the minimum in 2022/23, with minimum salaries in years two and three, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter links). Katz adds that the first year is fully guaranteed, while the second year is partially guaranteed for $600K and the third year is a team option with a partial guarantee of $651,180.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Mitchell Robinson‘s strong relationships with his young teammates and other members of the organization played a major part in his decision to remain with the Knicks, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “He had a number of opportunities,” a source familiar with Robinson’s thinking said of the center’s free agency. “He chose to be there.”
DeSagana Diop, the head coach of the Westchester Knicks (New York’s G League team), is taking over as the head coach of Senegal’s national men’s basketball team, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue believes Los Angeles’ former backup center Isaiah Hartenstein will be a good fit on his new team in New York, Braziller writes for The New York Post. “You can run stuff through him, he can make plays, he can make passes,” Lue told Braziller. “Defensively, he’s one of (Tom Thibodeau‘s) types of guys. He can switch at the five position, good in the drops. He’s very athletic and so he can do a lot of different things. He had a great year for us.” Although Lue would’ve liked to have Hartenstein back in L.A., he said he’s “happy for him, getting the contract he got.”
In case you missed it, the Knicks finalized their Alec Burks/Nerlens Noel trade with the Pistons on Monday, clearing a path to officially sign Jalen Brunson and Hartenstein.

Knicks Rumors: Robinson, Fournier, Reddish, Randle, Murray

June 29th, 2022 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported last week that there were “strong rumblings” about the Knicks‘ plan to sign center Mitchell Robinson to a new multiyear contract, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report follows up on that story today, confirming Stein’s report.

According to Fischer, there’s a belief that Robinson will receive a new four-year deal from the Knicks that approaches $60MM in total earnings. It’s unclear whether that amount would be fully guaranteed or would include incentives, but it would be a nice payday for a four-year veteran who has been earning the minimum salary since entering the NBA.

Because he was on a minimum-salary contract, Robinson has a minuscule cap hold, allowing the Knicks to keep it on their books without compromising their newly-created cap room. New York have the ability to use up that cap room – likely to sign Jalen Brunson – and then go over the cap to re-sign Robinson using his Bird rights.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Despite having agreed to move Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel, the Knicks may not be done making trades. They’re still gauging the market for Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish, according to Fischer.
Meanwhile, Fred Katz of The Athletic said in the latest episode of Seth Partnow’s Callin Shots podcast that the Knicks have also gauged Julius Randle‘s value on the trade market, though Katz doesn’t expect the veteran forward to be on the move this summer, as R.P. Salao of ClutchPoints.com relays.
Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article that even if the Knicks land Brunson, there’s a belief they could try to make a run at Spurs guard Dejounte Murray or another player of Murray’s caliber using their collection of draft assets. Fischer agrees, suggesting that Murray began to be mentioned by league personnel on Tuesday as New York’s next target. However, Fischer notes that would seem at odds with the Knicks’ pitch to Brunson that he’d have the opportunity to run the show at point guard.

Atlantic Rumors: Tucker, Sixers, Knicks, Robinson, Nets

June 28th, 2022 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

With free agency still two days away, rumors about P.J. Tucker landing in Philadelphia continue to percolate. After Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that multiple executives believe the Sixers will sign Tucker to a three-year, $30MM contract, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer conveys a similar sentiment today.

According to Pompey, three sources believe Tucker to the 76ers is a “done deal,” while a fourth source said he’d be shocked if the veteran forward doesn’t end up in Philadelphia. Sources tell Pompey that Tucker’s three-year deal with the Sixers, assuming it materializes, could be worth $27MM with incentives that increase the value to $30MM.

The Sixers still need to do some cap work in order to realistically make that kind of offer to Tucker. If James Harden turns down his $47MM+ player option and agrees to a lesser first-year salary on a new contract, the team could create the cap flexibility necessary to use its full mid-level exception on Tucker. But Harden is expected to opt in and then sign an extension, which means Philadelphia would have to shed some salary. Furkan Korkmaz ($5MM), Matisse Thybulle ($4.4MM), and Georges Niang ($3.5MM) are among the club’s potential trade candidates.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks are considering converting Jericho Sims‘ two-way contract into a standard NBA deal, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. If that occurs, second-round pick Trevor Keels would likely receive a two-way pact. Both moves were considered likely as of Tuesday afternoon, Begley writes.
Within the same story, Begley says he expects the Knicks to give strong consideration to re-signing Taj Gibson if they waive him this week as part of their cap-clearing efforts.
The four-year, $48MM contract Robert Williams signed with Boston last fall is viewed by rival executives as a fair comparable for Mitchell Robinson, according to Steve Popper of Newsday, who suggests the Knicks likely wouldn’t want to go much higher than that to retain Robinson this summer.
The Nets are expected to give David Duke a prominent role in summer league games next month and will give him an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in 2022/23, sources tell Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. Duke received a two-way qualifying offer from Brooklyn, as we relayed earlier today.

Stein’s Latest: Beal, Robinson, Gobert, Hornets, Atkinson

June 21st, 2022 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The comments made Monday by president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard seemed to indicate the Wizards don’t have any reservations about giving Bradley Beal a full maximum-salary contract, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column. Beal, who missed the final 33 games of the season because of an injured left wrist, is eligible for a new five-year deal worth a projected $247MM+.

Stein states that Sheppard had “ebullience” when talking about Beal and the chance to team him up with Kristaps Porzingis next season. Beal has to make a decision by next week on a $36.4MM player option for 2022/23, but it sounds like a long-term offer will be waiting no matter what he does with the option.

Sheppard said Beal can be a franchise centerpiece and notes that he has improved his defense and become more versatile since he arrived in the NBA. He points out that Beal can handle either backcourt spot, adding, “We have no problem playing Bradley Beal at point guard.”

There’s more from Stein:

While the Knicks would like to clear cap space before free agency kicks off, Stein has heard strong rumblings that they’re prepared to sign Mitchell Robinson to a new multiyear contract. The fourth-year center is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 72 games, and his minimum-salary cap hold means that retaining him won’t complicate any efforts to create cap room. Stein confirms a report that New York is looking for takers for Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, along with Kemba Walker, to make a run at a free agent guard like Jalen Brunson or possibly Kyrie Irving.
Appearing Monday on Spotify Live, Stein suggested that the Bulls are the most likely destination if the Jazz decide to trade Rudy Gobert. He clarifies that statement in today’s column, saying Chicago has “ongoing reservations” about dealing for Gobert, while the Raptors are still a team to watch. Stein adds that Gobert isn’t considered a sure thing to be traded this summer.
In the wake of Kenny Atkinson‘s decision to remain with the Warriors, the Hornets are still in the market for someone with experience as a head coach, such as Mike D’Antoni, the other finalist, who is scheduled to meet with owner Michael Jordan today. Stein suggests that family reasons factored into Atkinson’s decision, as did the fact that Golden State was willing to pay him more than assistant coaches usually make.

Stein’s Latest: Grizzlies, Mavs, Pistons, Schröder, Bagley

June 20th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting over the weekend that the Grizzlies, who hold the 22nd and 29th overall picks in this Thursday’s draft, are “trying hard” to move up, Marc Stein says in his latest Substack report that Memphis is among the teams that has explored the possibility of acquiring the No. 4 overall pick from the Kings.

It would be a challenge for the Grizzlies to entice the Kings to move that fourth overall pick without a lottery selection of their own to offer in return. As Stein observes, Memphis would probably have to offer up at least one member of its veteran core to pique Sacramento’s interest — Stein mentions Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke as possibilities.

Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who confirms that the Grizzlies are trying to trade up from No. 22, suggests that the team has proposed package that includes various veterans, including De’Anthony Melton. However, Woo says Memphis has been trying to move “into the teens,” which is a more realistic goal than getting all the way up to No. 4.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein:

Having agreed to acquire Christian Wood from Houston, the Mavericks are “far less likely” to make use of their $10.9MM trade exception, a source tells Stein. That exception, which will expire after June 27, would allow Dallas to acquire nearly $11MM in salary without sending out any salary of their own, but the Mavs already project to be well over the luxury tax line, especially if they re-sign Jalen Brunson, so they’ll be wary about continuing to spend.
While the Pistons have been cited as a potential suitor for Brunson, Stein hears from sources that they’ve been considering targeting Dennis Schröder as a more cost-effective option in the backcourt.
Stein also confirms that the Pistons continue to be linked to free agent center Mitchell Robinson and have “very strong interest” in re-signing former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III.
In case you missed it, Stein also passed along several Hawks-related tidbits, which we round up right here.

Central Notes: M. Robinson, Bulls, Lee, Pacers’ Workouts

June 11th, 2022 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls could be the main threat to take Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks in free agency this summer, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Chicago and the Pistons were among teams that engaged in trade talks about Robinson prior to February’s deadline, Berman writes, but Knicks officials decided to hang onto the fourth-year center through the rest of the season.

The Bulls are still doing research on Robinson, sources tell Berman, and have interest in pairing him with center Nikola Vucevic to improve their interior defense. If Chicago re-signs free agent guard Zach LaVine, the team would likely operated over the cap and be limited to the mid-level exception. The Mavericks, who were rumored to have interest in Robinson at one time, are now expected to pursue less costly alternatives, according to Berman’s source.

Berman reported in February that Robinson was likely to leave if he couldn’t reach a new contract with the Knicks prior to free agency, but he’s now expected to take the best offer he can find, even if that means staying in New York, Berman adds. A source tells Berman that the Knicks’ major concern with Robinson involves maturity and how he might respond once he has a guaranteed deal.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Comments about continuity from Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnišovas indicate that he’s serious about re-signing LaVine and keeping the rest of the team’s nucleus together, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Johnson believes Chicago plans to add depth through the draft and cap exceptions rather than seeking a significant trade.
The Bucks will promote Charles Lee to associate head coach, filling the spot vacated by new Lakers coach Darvin Ham, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Lee interviewed Friday for the head coaching slot with the Jazz, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin worked out Friday for the Pacers, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Mathurin didn’t talk to the media, but he told Agness at last month’s draft combine that his main concern is landing in the best situation. “It’s not about going high or low, it’s all about going to the right spot,” he said. “And I’ll bring winning to the team. I want to go to a team and win a championship and get better as a player.”
Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis has a workout scheduled with the Pacers on Monday, Agness tweets.

Bulls Reportedly Eyeing Rudy Gobert, Other Centers

June 6th, 2022 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls are among the teams with interest in Jazz center Rudy Gobert, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor reports that Chicago has its eye on a number of centers who could be available this offseason, including unrestricted free agent Mitchell Robinson.

Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls’ current starting center, is coming off a 2021/22 season in which he averaged 17.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on .473/.314/.760 shooting in 73 games (33.1 MPG). That scoring average was Vucevic’s lowest since 2017/18, though that was largely about him taking on a complementary offensive role in Chicago alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan after a few years of being the go-to guy in Orlando.

If the Bulls were to make a play for Gobert, Vucevic would almost certainly have to be included in their trade offer, both for salary-matching purposes and due to their on-court incompatibility.

Gobert, of course, is a much better defender than Vucevic and less of an offensive weapon, which might be a better fit for the Bulls, especially if LaVine is re-signed. However, Gobert also represents the far more significant financial commitment — he’s under contract for nearly $170MM over the next four years, while Vucevic will have a $22MM expiring deal.

If the Bulls hang onto Vucevic this offseason, they’ll likely pursue a more affordable backup center. It’s unclear if a free agent like Robinson would be willing to accept such a role, but perhaps he’d be intrigued by the opportunity if there’s a potential path to a larger role after Vucevic’s contract expires. The Bulls will also have the option of negotiating an extension with Vucevic.

Chicago will be over the cap this offseason, assuming LaVine returns, but should have the full mid-level exception available to offer potential free agent targets.

O’Connor adds that he has also heard the rumblings – previously relayed by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report – that the Raptors have interest in Gobert.