Jordan Clarkson wasted little time celebrating one of his closest teammates after Mitchell Robinson secured a lucrative new contract in free agency—even if it came at the expense of the New York Knicks.
Hours after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Robinson had agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the rival Boston Celtics, Clarkson shared a photo of the two celebrating during the Knicks’ championship run on his Instagram story.
“@mrobinson23_ well deserved twinnnn!!” Clarkson wrote.
Robinson later reposted Clarkson’s message with one of his own.
“Brother 4L 🤍,” Robinson wrote, highlighting the bond the two built while helping New York capture its first NBA championship in more than five decades.
HeavyMitchell Robinson reposts Jordan Clarkson’s congratulatory Instagram Story after agreeing to a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics following the Knicks’ championship season.
The exchange came shortly after Charania reported Robinson’s departure, ending the center’s eight-year tenure with the Knicks and sending one of the franchise’s longest-tenured players to one of its fiercest rivals.
Robinson Cashes In After Championship Run
Robinson’s move closes one of the Knicks’ most successful player-development stories.
Selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson developed into one of the league’s premier offensive rebounders and rim protectors while embracing a key reserve role behind Karl-Anthony Towns during New York’s championship season.
His new Celtics contract carries an average annual salary of nearly $15.8 million, the highest of his NBA career.
Clarkson, meanwhile, remains one of the Knicks’ top free-agent priorities, with mutual interest in a reunion after he played an important veteran role during New York’s title run. Before his own free agency is resolved, he publicly congratulated Robinson on earning the new deal.
Their social media exchange underscored the close relationships forged inside New York’s championship locker room, even as free agency reshapes the roster.
Salary Cap Reality Forced Knicks’ Hand
Robinson’s departure had less to do with basketball than finances.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks held “a ton of appreciation and respect” for Robinson, but his exit was viewed internally as a casualty of owner James Dolan’s directive to keep the team’s payroll below the NBA’s punitive second salary apron.
Begley reported Boston’s three-year, $47.4 million offer was “well, well above” anything New York could realistically match while remaining below the second apron.
“The club has a ton of appreciation and respect for Mitchell Robinson,” Begley wrote, adding that Robinson leaves “an indelible mark” on the franchise after helping transform the Knicks into NBA champions.
The financial reality had been building for weeks. New York retained several key free agents while prioritizing salary-cap flexibility, leaving little room to compete once Robinson reached the open market.
Knicks Face New Frontcourt Challenge
Robinson’s departure leaves New York with one of its biggest remaining offseason questions.
Backup center Ariel Hukporti also departed in free agency for the Philadelphia 76ers after the Knicks declined to extend him a qualifying offer, leaving Karl-Anthony Towns without his primary reserve and stripping the defending champions of two key frontcourt contributors.
Replacing Robinson’s rebounding, rim protection and defensive versatility now becomes one of the front office’s top priorities before training camp.
For Robinson, the move represents a fresh opportunity with one of New York’s biggest rivals.
For Clarkson, who is still weighing his own free-agent future, it was an opportunity to publicly celebrate a teammate who helped deliver a championship.
The two may now find themselves on opposite sides of one of the NBA’s fiercest rivalries, but their exchange made one thing clear: the bond forged during the Knicks’ title run extends well beyond free agency.
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