Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson Reacts to Trade Rumors

Getty Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after the loss to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

A nonchalant New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson finally addressed the trade rumors involving him.

“It [doesn’t] really affect me at all,” Robinson said in the “Roommates Show” co-hosted by his teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on June 27. “I really haven’t been paying attention to it. My friends came to tell me that [trade rumors] but I did basically the same thing I do. Y’all don’t be paying attention. I’m just in my own world, still doing what I do.”

Hart, who has been teammates with Robinson over the last one-and-a-half season, is hopeful they run it back with their 7-foot center.

“This podcast comes out Thursday afternoon brother, the day after the [NBA] Draft,” Hart said. “I hope you’re still with us. Much love brother peace and blessings. You’re a good guy, a great locker room guy, great for our morale.”

The NBA Draft has passed yet Robinson remained a Knick. His return to New York next season is tied to Isaiah Hartenstein‘s free agency.

Mitchell Robinson Trade Rumors

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, one of the ways to open up a cap room to offer Hartenstein his full four-year, $72.5 million early Bird rights contract is by including Mitchell in the Mikal Bridges trade with the Brooklyn Nets and roping in a third team.

“The Knicks have gauged the market for Mitchell Robinson, according to league sources. If they were to include Robinson in the trade, sending him to a third team, they could take back another player. Robinson makes $14.3 million next season, meaning they could flip him for someone who makes as much as $10 million, tie it into the Bridges deal and still send out more money than they’re acquiring,” Katz wrote on June 27.

On June 23, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Robinson’s name came up in trade talks with the Washington Wizards.

Mitchell Robinson’s Odds to Remain With Knicks Increases

The chances of Robinson staying in New York, however, have increased after Nets center Nic Claxton agreed to stay in Brooklyn, leaving Hartenstein as the top free-agent center available in the market.

“The Knicks have grown more pessimistic this week about retaining Hartenstein, league sources said. The Nets and Nic Claxton, the other premier center on the open market this summer, just agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract Wednesday. Not only is Hartenstein the league’s top free-agent center now, but he also has a nine-figure contract he can point to as a comp,” Katz wrote.

Robinson was on his way to an All-Defensive season when an ankle injury forced him to sit out 50 games in the regular season. When he returned, he was a shell of himself. He re-aggravated his ankle injury in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The 26-year-old center is the longest-tenured player on the Knicks roster. He has career averages of 8.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game since the Knicks drafted him 36th overall in the second round in 2018.

Robinson was the league’s top offensive rebounder over the last two seasons but he also missed 71 games during that span, which negated the marked improvement he had shown.