The New York Knicks are struggling to start their championship defense in 2026-2027.
After a strong start to the season for the veteran center Andre Drummond, the veteran center closed out the week on a low note.
During the Knicks’ 111-102 loss against the Orlando Magic, Drummond was benched in the second half. He finished the game with just seven minutes played, while James Wiseman took up seven minutes of his own.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t dodge the elephant in the room. Meanwhile, Drummond seems to be in the dark about his role. In Knicks world, the Drummond situation has been dominating headlines to start the second half of the NBA season.
Celtics’ Mitchell Robinson Makes Promise To Knicks’ Andre Drummond
Former New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson made a promise to the former All-Star big man in a comment on Instagram.
“It’ll get better, I promise,” Robinson wrote on social media.
The 28-year-old ex-Knicks center once served as New York’s primary backup.
Robinson joined the Knicks in 2018, becoming their 36th overall pick. While Robinson started over 200 games for the Knicks in the past, he came off the bench for all but 16 games during their 2025-2026 run.
After averaging 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, Robinson hit the free-agent market and signed a three-year deal with the Boston Celtics. He landed a $47.4 million deal.
Meanwhile, the Knicks added Drummond after his stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. Through the first three games of the season, Drummond has averaged 13 minutes off the bench. The veteran center produced an average of 6.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and a little under 1.0 blocks per game.
It doesn’t seem like Drummond is going to lose his job to Wiseman–but clearly he is on a short leash early on.
