After offseason trades to bring in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have clearly signaled that they're going all-in on a championship in the immediate future. Towns is going to play a lot of minutes at center. What does that mean for incumbent starter Mitchell Robinson?
Robinson was a key player for the Knicks last year until injuries took him out of the lineup. His health is always a question mark, but he is a good defender, great offensive rebounder and lob threat.
The Knicks might not be able to wait for Robinson's return in December or January. They are reportedly taking calls on him. If they do shop him, there could be some interest given the reasonable $27.3 million left on his deal over the next two seasons.
Here are the places that make the most sense for Robinson.
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Mitchell Robinson trade destinations
Hornets
The Hornets are already a part of the Towns trade and need to take on at least $8.8 million in salary to make that deal work. The final pieces haven't been established yet, so Robinson could still be folded into that original deal.
The Towns trade gives the Knicks a better ceiling, but it took away important depth for them. They can only count on Robinson and Deuce McBride off their bench, making them one injury away from potential disaster.
The Hornets have a couple of pieces that could help the Knicks shore up that depth. Robinson is still young enough to fit into their timeline, creating the potential for a win-win trade.
Nick Richards is a less talented version of Robinson who makes much less money. Veteran Vasilije Micic looked like one of the better backup point guards in the league and doesn't make much sense in Charlotte. Both would play in the Knicks' rotation, giving them added insurance.
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Trail Blazers
The Blazers have three promising young centers on their roster in Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III and the recently drafted Donovan Clingan. They're also expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, so trading one of their guys for a player in Robinson, who might miss half the season, wouldn't be a great loss for them.
Robinson's contract is structured almost the exact same as that of Williams. Both have two years left at roughly the same money, both are 26 years old, and both are good defenders and finishers who can't really shoot.
Williams has had his own slew of health problems that have been even worse than Robinson's in recent years. He does look like he will be ready sooner than Robinson this year, though. That could be a straight-up trade if the Knicks believe in Williams' shaky health more than Robinson's.
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Pelicans
The Pelicans badly need a starting center. Their two best options currently are veteran Daniel Theis and unproven rookie Yves Missi.
Robinson could give New Orleans the starting-caliber center that it needs. He's not the ideal shooter to put next to Zion Williamson, but he could make up for the two-time All-Star's lack of defensive rebounding and up-and-down defense.
While Robinson fits what the Pelicans need and grew up in nearby Chalmette, a trade is difficult to pull off because of salary constraints. The Pelicans have been shopping Brandon Ingram, but the Knicks can't take on his salary. CJ McCollum is another under-the-radar trade candidate but the same issues arise.
Perhaps the Knicks could try to fill the Donte DiVincenzo void with shooter Jordan Hawkins, who looked promising as a rookie last season but didn't get consistent minutes. A third team would need to be roped in to make this deal happen.
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Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are another team that is lacking center depth. They are counting heavily on No. 9 pick Zach Edey to be ready for big minutes.
Robinson could help ease that transition for Edey while forming a terrific pick-and-roll partnership with Ja Morant. The Grizzlies should be competing for homecourt advantage in the playoffs this season, so having a dependable veteran in Robinson would be attractive to them.
If the Grizzlies were interested in Robinson, then Brandon Clarke would make sense as the matching piece for the Knicks due to his $12.5 million salary. Clarke missed most of last season due to a nasty Achilles tear. If he can get back to his previous level, he's a solid backup big who fits Tom Thibodeau's mold of defense, rebounding and toughness.
