The New York Knicks could make a risky offseason trade that could see them win big in due time.
Knicks urged to trade Mitchell Robinson for Blazers big
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggested that the Knicks should deal Mitchell Robinson to the Portland Trail Blazers for Robert Williams III (h/t New York Knicks on SI’s Jeremy Brener):
“Would the Knicks be tempting fate by swapping out one oft-injured center (Mitchell Robinson) for another (Williams)? Sure, but New York needs defense badly enough to potentially make it worth the risk,” Buckley writes.
“Williams has only topped the 50-game mark twice in his career, but the last time he did, he earned All-Defensive second-team honors (2021-22).”
Williams III may be better for the Knicks than Robinson
The Knicks would have reason to move off of Robinson due to his injury history. He’s only played in 90 of a possible 222 games over the last three seasons.
Despite his standard-setting offensive rebounding, Williams III could approximate the 26-year-old’s defense. The Blazers big could return to being a double-double threat in a new environment.
With an equally lethal second jump, the Louisiana native would bring high-IQ shot-blocking to New York, as well as reliable rim-running. Williams III puts up 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in only 17.6 minutes a night. If given the 25 minutes that Robinson has seen throughout his career in New York, he could revert to boasting 10 PPG along with 9.6 RPG akin to his numbers from 2021-22, where he finished No. 7 in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The Knicks would have to be weary as Williams III has only played north of 35 games twice in seven seasons. That being said, if his health persists for the rest of this year, he could be an option for the franchise to consider.