The New York Knicks didn’t view Mitchell Robinson’s departure as merely another free-agency loss.
They immediately went searching for his successor.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the defending champions aggressively pursued New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after Robinson left for the rival Boston Celtics, making multiple trade offers only to receive the same response each time.
No.
“Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times,” Haynes reported Thursday on X. “Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable.”
The report provides the clearest glimpse yet into how Knicks president Leon Rose intends to address one of the biggest holes on a roster suddenly short on size after Robinson’s departure.
Knicks Identified Their Ideal Robinson Successor
Getty Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks drives to the net against Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 01, 2024 in New York City.
The Knicks weren’t simply surveying the market.
They had a target.
Haynes’ reporting suggests Missi quickly became New York’s preferred replacement for Robinson, whose departure left the franchise without the defensive anchor who had protected the paint throughout its championship run.
The need only intensified after backup center Ariel Hukporti also departed in free agency.
Those exits leave Karl-Anthony Towns as the only established center currently under contract while the Knicks still need to fill two more roster spots at the position to reach the NBA’s 14-player minimum.
Rather than patching the hole with a short-term veteran, New York appears to have prioritized finding a long-term answer.
Missi checked virtually every box.
Why Missi Became Such a Coveted Target
At nearly 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Missi offers the athletic profile modern contenders covet.
The Cameroon native runs the floor, protects the rim, finishes above it and rebounds with the type of energy that made Robinson such an integral part of the Knicks’ identity.
As a rookie, Missi exceeded expectations by averaging 9.1 points and 8.2 rebounds while starting 67 games, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors after entering the league as a developmental prospect out of Baylor.
His numbers dipped during his sophomore campaign—5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 54.4% from the field—but rival executives remained intrigued by his upside.
At just 22 years old, Missi represents exactly the type of ascending young center teams rarely make available.
For the Knicks, he offered something even more valuable: a player capable of filling Robinson’s role today while growing into a cornerstone tomorrow.
Pelicans Never Wavered
What’s striking is that New Orleans has consistently resisted interest despite earlier speculation surrounding Missi’s future.
Back in January, ClutchPoints reported that frustration had surfaced over Missi’s reduced role after his minutes declined amid a crowded Pelicans frontcourt featuring Zion Williamson and rookie standout Derik Queen.
Those circumstances prompted many around the league to wonder whether New Orleans would eventually become open to moving the young center.
Instead, the opposite has happened.
Earlier this offseason, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that multiple teams—including the Los Angeles Lakers—had contacted the Pelicans about Missi only to be turned away.
Haynes’ latest reporting reveals the Knicks pushed even harder.
It still wasn’t enough.
According to Haynes, New Orleans considers Missi “a vital core figure,” making him effectively untouchable despite repeated inquiries from a reigning NBA champion desperate to reinforce its frontcourt.
Knicks’ Search Continues
Missing on Missi doesn’t change the urgency facing New York.
The Knicks have also been linked to veteran Kevon Looney in free agency, while Begley has floated trade possibilities including Goga Bitadze, Moussa Diabaté and Nick Richards.
Haynes’ report, however, reveals something more significant than another name on a wish list.
It shows how aggressively the Knicks are attacking their biggest offseason need.
The front office isn’t simply looking for another center.
It’s searching for the next defensive backbone of a team trying to defend its first NBA championship in more than five decades.
Missi may no longer be attainable.
But the pursuit offers perhaps the clearest blueprint yet for what Leon Rose wants the next version of the Knicks to look like.
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