Just one year after claiming the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference and having their first winning season since 2013, the Knicks are back on a downhill trend and their chances of making the NBA playoffs are slim at this point.
Currently 28-38 on the year, the Knicks are 3.5 games back from the Hawks for the 10-seed and could potentially go on a late-season run to claim a play-in tournament spot, but their inconsistencies all year long make it hard to believe they can win two “winner takes all” play-in games to advance to the first-round.
Compared to last year, this season has been a huge disappointment for the Knicks and they will enter the offseason facing a ton of questions about what the future holds.
Not only will this team face questions about Julius Randle and Tom Thibodeau’s long-term future with the team, but Mitchell Robinson will also be a key topic of discussion, especially since he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Robinson is currently in the final year of his rookie contract and since being drafted 36th overall in 2018, he has turned himself into a reliable big man for New York.
Now in his fourth NBA season, Mitchell Robinson has averaged 8.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and has shot 72.3% from the floor, making him one of the more efficient finishers in the league. Robinson’s 74.2% field goal percentage during the 2019-20 season led the league and he is currently averaging a career-high 8.7 rebounds per game this season.
The big man market in free agency this upcoming offseason is not expected to be very vast, making Mitchell Robinson one of the better centers available.
As of right now, the Knicks are expected to take interest in bringing Mitchell Robinson back given that they do not have many options to replace him with, but should the young center demand a high asking price, he may not ultimately return to the Knicks next season.
Should the Knicks pass up on bringing back Mitchell Robinson in free agency, these three teams could very well look to pursue the 23-year-old big man.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are one of the youngest teams in the league and while they may only have 20 wins this year, Oklahoma City has proven that the future is bright for them.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of the franchise right now and with the Thunder striking gold by drafting Josh Giddey this past year, they will not look to turn their attention to their frontcourt.
Having multiple draft picks, we should expect the Thunder to bring in one or two young big men as additions in their frontcourt, but they could also look to target a young center in Mitchell Robinson with all of their cap space.