It seems unlikely that the New York Knicks will break up their strong center rotation on a whim.
On Friday, Yahoo’s Jake Fischer reported that the Knicks have had trade talks regarding center Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson, 26, began last season as the Knicks’ starting center and had a dominant start to the season controlling the paint and glass. However, he had to undergo ankle surgery in December and missed much of the second half of the season. Isaiah Hartenstein took the starting job and had a great year, setting himself up for a big payday in free agency.
Fischer reports that Hartenstein is currently expected to re-sign with the Knicks.
The Knicks would have one of the best center rotations in the NBA if they kept both Hartenstein and Robinson. Although Hartenstein arguably elevated the Knicks’ starting lineup with Robinson out, Robinson reminded the NBA of his impact during the Knicks’ first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers with his defense of Joel Embiid.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks would be unlikely to trade Robinson without first securing Hartenstein’s new contract. Even then, those trade talks may have been only exploratory.
“I don’t think so [the Knicks] “I would do anything with Mitch until they were 100% sure that Hartenstein would come back,” Katz said in his podcast “Katz and Shoot.”
“If they’re 98% sure Hartenstein is coming back, I don’t expect anything with Mitchell Robinson because I don’t think they’re going to take that risk and end up without a center.”
Katz said he doesn’t see a deal with Robinson as “inevitable,” noting that Robinson has played well when healthy and has a team-friendly downward contract that pays him $27 million over the next two seasons.
However, Katz did say that he believes the Knicks are concerned about Robinson’s injury history and the frequency with which he misses games. Over the past four seasons, Robinson has played in just 60 percent of the Knicks’ games. He has played in just 31 games twice in those four seasons.
While Robinson has been very effective as a rim-running, shot-altering center who dominates offensive rebounds, the Knicks could explore finding a center who can stretch the floor. Under Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks have virtually never played five-out lineups because they haven’t had centers who can shoot (and Thibodeau doesn’t play often). If the Knicks could trade Robinson for a floor-stretching big, he could open up different playing styles and lineup options.
NBA teams have exploratory conversations about virtually every player. The Knicks could be evaluating the market for Robinson, but a deal does not seem certain.
