Are Knicks gearing up for a Mitchell Robinson trade?

December 15th is the unofficial start of NBA trade season, as free agents that were signed this offseason become eligible to be dealt. The rumor mill is already hard at work, with the Knicks a headliner in multiple rumors.

In recent days, Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints reported New York is interested in acquiring Donte DiVincenzo or Jose Alvarado, and ESPN1320’s James Ham reported they have shown interest in Dennis Schroder. DiVincenzo remains a fan favorite from maybe the best single-season Knick career in franchise history, while the other two are reliable, defensively stout guards, making for a natural group of targets.

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What’s notable are their salaries: DiVincenzo earns $12 million and Schroder $14 million. If the Knicks are truly aiming to acquire one of them, in order to match salaries they’ll have to ship out half of their bench or one key player.

Mitchell Robinson has been the longest tenured Knick throughout the Leon Rose era, making a huge impact on multiple playoff runs. But this is the final year of his contract, they didn’t agree to an extension, and historically the Knicks have traded players in similar situations before allowing them to walk in free agency.

Maybe this time is different, but Robinson’s health has been a major concern, his defense has dropped off dramatically, and his contract just so happens to be the only one that aligns with these reported trade targets. Are the Knicks gearing up to trade Robinson, and if so, should they?

If the former is true, it can’t be gleaned from reports of trade interest. On the rare occasion the Knicks have made a midseason trade, they weren’t pre-linked to their targets, and a report from an opposing team’s beat can easily be juicing the local player’s value for future talks.

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It’s possible New York wants the offseason flexibility and still re-signs Robinson this summer. He was immensely effective in the postseason and even with his struggles this year has been a beast on the offensive glass.

Nov 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) controls the ball against Minnesota…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-gearing-mitchell-robinson-trade-145526484.html

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Publish date : 2025-12-14 14:55:00

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