The New York Knicks were very quiet during the trade deadline, with the only move being Jericho Sims swapping placing with former Milwaukee Bucks guard Delon Wright. Despite many rumors, center Mitchell Robinson survived yet another deadline, and the team reportedly views him as an essential asset for the rest of this season.
The Knicks believe Mitchell Robinson could have a huge impact
According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, New York felt inclined to keep Robinson because of the impact they feel he can bring upon his return from injury.
“This is all the indication you need at home, if you are a New York fan, that the Knicks are optimistic Mitchell Robinson is going to be back in time for the playoff run to help support Karl-Anthony Towns in that frontcourt,” Fischer said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Matthew Schmidt).
Robinson has not played a game this season as he continues his long recovery process from offseason ankle surgery. However, he may be very close to returning to the court as he was recently cleared to take contact in practice earlier this week.
Finding a trade partner for Robinson was a difficult process, largely because of the uncertainty around him maintaining good health along with the contract. He is in the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract, and he only appeared in 31 regular season games last season as an ankle injury caused him to miss three months.
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Robinson will help solve a few of the Knicks’ problems
When healthy, he is an exceptional offensive rebounder and interior defense, which are two things that the Knicks have been lackluster at this season. They rank just 23rd in rebounds per game at 43.2 and are 29th in blocked shots with 3.9 per game.
Undoubtedly, Robinson will help solve that problem, as the seven-footer will give their bench some much-needed size inside the arc. Additionally, they will have the flexibility to plug him in lineups with Karl-Anthony Towns thanks to Towns’ offensive versatility.
It is still unclear when exactly Robinson will return to the court, but he will have a big impact on a Knicks team with big dreams this season. Their next game is set for Saturday night against the Boston Celtics.
