Getty Could Mitchell Robinson be shipped out of town?
The New York Knicks are figuring to be a big player in the NBA’s trade season, and they’ve already made a move to make their roster even better, although it really hasn’t had much of an impact.
Cam Reddish is still struggling to crack the rotation, and it might take another trade or two to get him some much-needed playing time.
The Knicks are in a bit of a free fall and they have to choose whether they want to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. It’s a hard decision to make, but with a team loaded with so much young talent, it might be best to sell off some of the veterans like Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker.
In the case of Fournier, he’s a new signing that’s reportedly already being shopped, but it’s unclear how much value he has to other teams considering he’s on a four year deal.
Another player who figures to have a lot of value to other teams is the young big man Mitchell Robinson. With this being his last year before hitting free agency, it’s unclear if he remains in the long-term plans for the Knicks or if he’ll be looking for a pay day elsewhere.
Throughout his young career, Robinson has had trouble staying on the court and this year especially he’s been dealing with it. He had Defensive Player of the Year aspirations coming in the season, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be reaching those lofty heights.
This has led to him being involved in the swirling trade winds, but it sounds like Robinson doesn’t want to actually go anywhere. Posting on Twitter, Robinson praised the fans at Madison Square Garden and called it the best place to play.
Robinson Loves the Garden
Perhaps as a way of acknowledging his desire to stay with the Knicks, Robinson tweeted out how much he loves playing in New York.
“MSG really the best place to play at,” he said. “I’m looking at videos of it. we really blessed to have it as our home court.”
For what it’s worth, Madison Square Garden is a place that a lot of players love playing at, including Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. While it hasn’t resulted in big name talent coming to the Knicks, it is a big selling point.
At this point in time, it’s tough to say if Robinson will be dealt, but he’ll be a big loss to the young core if he is. With Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson and Robinson on the roster, the team does have a bit of a logjam there, but with Noel and Robinson both missing a lot of time it’s a good thing the Knicks did have Gibson.
Will Robinson Be Traded?
GettyNew York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson defends Khris Middleton during a bout with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Knicks were unable to reach an extension agreement with Robinson before the season, so he’ll more than likely be looking for a pay raise in the offseason.
New York might decide he’s not worth the money he’ll command due to the Knicks struggling even with him the lineup. However, it seems unfair to point the fingers at him since he’s far from the focal point of the team.
The reality is that the Knicks have a lot of areas to look at outside of the center position, and when they’re healthy, that might actually be one of the team’s strong points. Only time will tell what the future holds for the young big man.
READ NEXT: Knicks Pressed to Unload Defensive Ace at the Trade Deadline