Mitchell Robinson has spent his entire NBA career with the New York Knicks.
For the first time, staying may not be the obvious choice.
As Robinson prepares to enter unrestricted free agency, SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley reported that at least one team was prepared earlier in the postseason to offer the 28-year-old center a starting job — a development that could complicate New York’s efforts to retain one of the longest-tenured players from its championship roster.
The report arrives just days after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed the Knicks had already begun what he described as “some level of cursory negotiations” with Robinson’s representatives, underscoring how important the veteran rim protector remains to New York’s offseason plans.
Knicks Insider Reveals Robinson’s Expanding Market
Speaking on The Putback, Begley said Robinson is expected to draw significant interest around the league.
“I’ve heard the same whispers about the Lakers, just based on their need at center and their financial situation. But I don’t know specifically if there’s interest there or not,” Begley said.
Begley also identified Sacramento as a logical destination.
“If they didn’t have a player at the position that they loved, I think they’d be all over Mitchell Robinson. They’re always a team that I link to Robinson.”
The Kings represent more than just a basketball fit.
Sacramento is now led by general manager Scott Perry, who selected Robinson with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft during his tenure with the Knicks. Perry remained one of Robinson’s strongest supporters in New York, and the two have stayed close even after Perry left the organization.
If Sacramento ultimately enters the bidding, the familiarity between Perry and Robinson could become another factor in free agency.
The biggest takeaway from Begley’s report, however, was that Robinson’s market extends well beyond teams seeking a rotational center.
“I heard earlier in the postseason that there were numerous suitors, and at least one team was prepared to offer Mitchell Robinson a starting spot,” Begley said.
“To me, that’s significant because he knows he’s not starting in New York as long as Karl-Anthony Towns is there.”
Even Karl-Anthony Towns Sees Robinson as a Starter
Towns himself has never viewed Robinson as merely his backup.
Following the Knicks’ double-overtime victory over Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden in February, Towns pushed back against that characterization.
“I don’t want to say I’m a starter and he’s a backup. That’s not right,” Towns said at the time. “He can be a starter on any other team.”
Those comments carry added weight now.
What sounded like praise in February increasingly reflects how Robinson is viewed around the league—not simply as one of the NBA’s best backup centers, but as a starting-caliber player whose role changed after Towns arrived ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Knicks Championship Run Elevated Robinson’s Value
If Robinson entered the season with questions surrounding his future, he answered many of them during the Knicks’ title run.
One of the league’s premier offensive rebounders and interior defenders when healthy, Robinson became an indispensable piece of New York’s championship rotation.
His defining moment came late in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, when he grabbed a crucial offensive rebound after Josh Hart missed a free throw, extending the possession and helping secure the Knicks’ first NBA championship since 1973.
Meanwhile, New York recently created additional financial flexibility through a series of shrewd draft-night trades orchestrated by vice president of basketball and strategic planning Brock Aller, giving the front office more room to negotiate while remaining below the NBA’s restrictive second apron.
Robinson Faces the Biggest Decision of His Career
Because the Knicks hold Robinson’s Bird rights, they can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him.
Money, however, may not ultimately determine his decision.
The Knicks can offer continuity, Bird rights and the opportunity to defend a championship.
Sacramento can offer a reunion with the executive who drafted him.
Other teams can offer fresh opportunities and expanded roles.
For the first time since entering the NBA in 2018, Robinson isn’t simply deciding where he’ll play next season.
He’s deciding what the next chapter of his career should look like.
Mitchell Robinson’s Knicks Future Gets Major Update After New Report