Despite an incredibly active offseason, the New York Knicks might not be done dealing yet. Mitchell Robinso shared some cryptic social media posts since the Knicks’ blockbuster trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns was first announced. He, like many other Knicks fans, is clearly processing the news. But his posts have some fans a little worried.
Robinson turned to Instagram to share his thoughts. Granted, he didn’t come out and say he was displeased. But he said enough to make one believe that is the case.
The most alarming, that the now-expired story highlighted was the fact that Robinson is the lone remaining member of the 2019-20 Knicks with the following text, “Longest Knick 🤷🏾♂️”.
Robinson also shared a number of posts demonstrating his defensive impact and rebounding prowess, as well as how he’s risked his body to help New York win games. Robinson also shared stories commemorating his relationship with Randle.
Could a Robinson trade be in the works?
Making matters worse, rumors began to spread over the weekend that the Knicks are “receiving and taking calls” on Robinson, according to Knicks Film School’s Kris Pursiainen.
The “receiving and taking calls” news is a surprising development for two reasons: Robinson’s trade value is lower than the Knicks would like given his string of ankle injuries between December 2023 and May 2024; and more importantly, who would replace Robinson in the team’s rotation? Sure, Towns is a seven-footer, but he’s far from an ideal defensive center. Conversely, Robinson is a defensive menace, even slowing down former MVP Joel Embiid in last year’s playoffs. So, the idea of parting ways with Robinson seems tenuous at best.
Regardless as to Towns defensive viability, the idea of entering the season with only one experienced center on the roster is troubling.
Back to Robinson’s social media posts, this isn’t the first time Robinson has shared ominous messages. He’s shared messages like, “The truth always comes out at some point. Keep that in mind,” and “Stay tuned to TikTok. It's finna go down,” as recently as last week. So, his recent messages are comparatively benign. Make of that what you will.
Robinson’s 2024-25 outlook
Robinson is set to start the regular season out of action as he continues to rehab his injured left ankle. He re-injured the ankle in the now-infamous moment in which Joel Embiid bear-hugged his left leg while on the ground. Robinson will remain out until December or January, with the goal being he achieve full health before returning to action.
When healthy, Robinson is an All-Defense caliber player. He has career averages of 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just 24.5 minutes. But injuries have been a consistent theme throughout Robinson’s six-year career. In fact, he has missed 20 or more games in four of his six professional seasons.
New York looked set at the center position existing the 2024 NBA Playoffs. However, due to a salary cap oddity, the Knicks were unable to match a contract offer made to Isaiah Hartenstein by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The lose of Hartenstein paired with Robinson’s injury history influenced the Knicks in their pursuit of Towns.
While Towns adds another layer of versatility to an already versatile rotation, Robinson is a special defender capable of guarding virtually anyone on the basketball court. Trading him when injured would almost certainly return less than the Knicks would like.
On the bright side, team president Leon Rose has yet to make a misstep in re-building the Knicks. So, let’s have faith in Rose and hope that the social media posts are simply Robinson being Robinson.
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