Mitchell Robinson hasn’t played a second of basketball for the New York Knicks this season. The seventh-year big man remains on the injury report as he recovers from a stress fracture in his left ankle.
Despite Robinson’s absence, the Knicks sit third in the Eastern Conference. However, Tom Thibodeau’s team undoubtedly needs some extra depth at the center position. As such, Robinson could find himself emerging as a potential trade chip ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
A recent trade proposal by David Vertsberger of SNY saw the Knicks flip Robinson as part of a three-team deal. In this hypothetical trade, Kevon Looney and Kyle Anderson would both head to New York. The trade looks like this:
New York Knicks receive: Kevon Looney, Kyle Anderson
Golden State Warriors receive: Nikola Vučević
Chicago Bulls receive: Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims, Gary Payton II
“Looney is a dependable five who does all the little things that would open up doors for this team: screening, boxing out, and rebounding,” Vertsberger reasoned. “Anderson has been in and out of the rotation but is a veteran wing who can impact the game in a variety of ways.”
Looney, a two-time NBA champion, would provide the Knicks with a high-level back-up center. Looney is a formidable rebounder on both sides of the floor and can generate significant separation when setting screens for shooters. He would undoubtedly shore up what is a weak center rotation for the Knicks.
Kevon Looney Makes Sense For Knicks
Looney has played in 38 games for the Golden State Warriors this season. He’s averaging 5.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 52.1% from the field. He’s comfortable coming off the bench or working as part of a second unit. Furthermore, his 6-foot-9 size would allow Thibodeau to experiment with some small-ball lineups if the Knicks wanted to play at a higher tempo.
The Knicks have been constructed to contend for a championship. Adding a two-time champion, who has been developed in the Warriors system, would help add some much-needed experience to the locker room.
If Thibodeau decides to cut ties with Robinson, Looney could be a smart addition to the rotation.
Knicks Could Keep Mitchell Robinson in New York
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Thibodeau would prefer to keep Robinson in New York. The veteran head coach is reportedly interested in experimenting with double-big lineups that would see Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns share the court together. That would recreate a similar partnership to the one Towns had with Rudy Gobert during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is owed $14.32 million this season and $12.95 next season, while Precious Achiuwa is on an expiring $6 million deal,” Scotto wrote. “Combining both salaries would give the Knicks a chance to theoretically acquire another player in the $20 million range if there’s a fit. With that said, however, the Knicks believe Robinson can help anchor their interior defense when he returns and can play alongside Towns, who’d slide over to power forward.”
Towns has proven capable of being part of a two-big lineup. His floor spacing allows him to operate on the perimeter. That would allow a non-shooting big like Robinson to work as a rim-runner or dunker spot threat. The Knicks’ interior defense would undoubtedly see significant improvements, too.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Proposed Knicks 3-Team Trade Lands Two-Time Champion Center appeared first on Heavy Sports.