New York Knicks have to make a decision on Mitchell Robinson’s future this year, as the promising big is eligible for a contract extension.
The Knicks opted to retain Robinson on his rookie deal for this season, despite having the chance to make him a restricted free agent this past offseason.
Ian Begley of SNY revealed the plan the Knicks have in mind regarding Robinson’s future with the franchise. The Knicks could come to an agreement with Robinson until the start of the 2022 free agency, but that’s not the case according to Begley:
“The Knicks can offer Robinson an extension any time between now and the eve of free agency. The extension can be as long as four years and worth as much as $54 million in total.
In the offseason, some with the Knicks had said the club was unlikely to agree with Robinson on an extension early in the season; they preferred to evaluate Robinson more fully during the season before deciding on a long-term approach, per SNY sources.”
Robinson’s impact on the Knicks’ breakout year last season was minimal due to injuries. More precisely, Robinson appeared in just 31 games, before the Knicks shut him down for the season.
In those 31 regular season appearances, the promising big averaged 8.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. After his injury, Nerlens Noel, who signed a big contract extension this offseason, and Taj Gibson shared the minutes in the center position.
At 20 years old, Robinson will have to stay healthy and make a considerable impact for the Knicks to remain in New York.
Otherwise, Robinson could be a strong presence in the defensive end, and that’s the reason he could be valuable for any team in the league.
