The Knicks are 27-15, showing early signs of promise as a potential contender but not yet dominating like one. Unfortunately, as a second apron team, they’re largely stuck finding solutions internally, with extremely limited avenues to trade for or sign additional talent.
Some have suggested trading Mitchell Robinson, the longest tenured Knick on the roster, currently working his way back from ankle surgery and reportedly due to return in early February, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. He’s earning a large enough salary to net New York one or two depth pieces, and trading him wouldn’t disrupt the current rotation as he hasn’t played all season.
But coming off a serious recovery and with few assets to attach, the proposed returns in a Robinson trade fall short of impressive, and even of what Robinson can bring to the Knicks when fully healthy.
If New York really wants a big midseason upgrade, Robinson may be their best option.
Recall where Robinson was at last we saw him on the court. He was outperforming New York’s starting center in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid.
Robinson averaged 5.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.2 blocks per-36 minutes in that first round, holding Embiid to 35.3 percent shooting from the field and forcing nine turnovers on him when matched up. He also led the league in offensive rebounding rate in the postseason, despite playing through injury.
His impact led to the Knicks’ first-round victory, whereas trading him means hoping whoever comes in can have that kind of effect. When playing, Robinson is one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and big man defenders, and he’s shown development with each passing year, only turning 27 later this season.
Early last year it looked as if Robinson could put together a Defensive Player of the Year campaign before he got hurt. He rebounded a ridiculous 20 percent of his team’s misses when on the court, and cut down on his fouling dramatically, better utilizing his length in passing lanes.
It’s hard to compete with that package looking at the trade market through a Knicks scope. Not only would Robinson be the best talent they could add, but he addresses the exact weaknesses holding this roster back from contention.
New York has a remarkable offense, but ranks 15th defensively — dead center in the league. One reason for that is their lack of rim protection — teams get to the paint with volume and convert easily, which opens up the three ball once the Knicks overcommit to help.
Robinson would obviously be a major plus there, both as an improved bench piece over current rotation options Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims, and also in a potential pairing with Towns. Head coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned potentially moving Towns to the four for some stretches, and doing so alongside Robinson should provide a similar look to what Minnesota did with Towns and Rudy Gobert.
The Knicks can also use help on the boards, where they dominated last season but are merely competing in the possession battle this year. They rank seventh in defensive rebound rate and 13th in offensive rebound rate, far from terminal but not enough to swing games they’re struggling defensively in.
With Robinson in the rotation, the elite offensive rebounding teams that have hurt the Knicks this season wouldn’t have the same edge, and their defensive issues can be somewhat covered up by winning the battle of the boards. We’ve also seen what he can do against the league’s best bigs in the playoffs, when the right depth piece really matters.
New York may not be the complete product yet, but with so little maneuverability, their options to bridge that gap are few and far between. They should be better off sitting pat and waiting for Robinson to return, if they truly want to maximize their roster come April and May.
