Getty New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson defends Khris Middleton during a bout with the Milwaukee Bucks.
To deal or not to deal? That is the question facing the New York Knicks with the NBA trade deadline looming. Given the fact that the team had lost six of its last seven games entering Monday’s home bout with the Kings, the Knicks fan collective would likely answer it with a resounding yes.
The team’s wild run to end last season, which resulted in a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, sent expectations soaring. And the sub-.500 Knicks are definitely falling short of them this season.
Having said that, Knicks brass would do well not to repeat the mistakes of the past. All too often, previous regimes would sacrifice what mattered most for what seemed to matter in the moment. Since taking over almost two years ago, team president Leon Rose has done well not to fall into similar traps.
That’s not to say, though, that New York should rest on its laurels with the Cam Reddish deal. In fact, there’s at least one more move that the team should make before the deadline hits, according to one hoops pundit.
B/R: Knicks Should Cash in on Mitchell Robinson at the Deadline
In a piece looking at the various questions facing teams across the Association at the deadline, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes made mention of the franchise’s spotty history and simply asked, “Can [the Knicks] stay patient?”
However, he did urge the club to keep working the phones with a pair of very specific goals in mind, one of which was finding a taker for starting big man Mitchell Robinson.
They should not be desperate buyers at the deadline. Instead, New York must gauge the market for the disappointing (outside of the occasional hot streak) Kemba Walker and try to deal impending unrestricted free agent Mitchell Robinson for draft capital.
The Kemba thing is obvious, given the roller-coaster nature of his campaign; Robinson’s situation is different. The 23-year-old has started in 36 of 45 games for the Knicks and is putting up 8.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. He also ranks third league-wide in offensive rebounding percentage at 15.1.
Meanwhile, Tom Thibodeau has called him the “eyes and ears” of the team’s defense.
Obviously, that’s the kind of player a handful of teams would kill to have in the middle, but his contract situation is a tough one for New York.
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The Dilemma
Mitchell is young, has looked like a defensive ace at various points throughout his career and could command an exorbitant salary when he hits free agency this summer. Given the Knicks’ cap situation, it’s probably going to hit a number that would really hinder the team’s flexibility going forward.
And for all the good that he brings — the flashes of brilliant D, the elite-level offensive rebounding — he doesn’t do enough offensively as a stone-cold rim-roller/lob guy to justify the financial constraint.
Simply put, the team isn’t good enough now with Robinson manning the pivot, and improving the roster will become a lot more complicated if he’s holding down a significantly bigger salary slot.
So, if paying him isn’t an option (barring other moves, anyway), the objective should be to get something out of him before he walks for nothing. Considering the upside and all that he does bring to the table, that “draft capital” that Hughes is referring to as a return could be on the higher end.
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