Knicks Shopping Their Longest-Tenured Player
The New York Knicks may be preparing to move on from a player who has been with the team since the David Fizdale era.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Knicks have reached out to other teams about the possibility of trading veteran center Mitchell Robinson. Fischer notes that fellow center Isaiah Hartenstein, who is a free agent this summer, is expected to return to the Knicks, potentially making Robinson expendable.
Robinson, a seven-footer who is 26 years old, was a second-round draft pick by the Knicks in 2018 and has been with the team ever since, making him their longest-tenured player. He is valued for his leaping ability and motor on both ends of the floor, especially in rebounding. However, Robinson has been frequently injured, missing over 50 games during the regular season due to a foot issue. Although he returned in late March, he re-injured the same foot during the Knicks’ playoff run, ending his season early.
Robinson is entering the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract with the Knicks. While Hartenstein’s return is not entirely certain, the Knicks seem to prefer retaining Hartenstein as their starter and finding a cheaper, more durable backup center.
