The New York Knicks have allowed one of their first key pieces to walk away after James Dolan refuses to reach the second apron.
When New York Knicks owner James Dolan declared that his team would not cross the second apron to keep their championship roster together, many wondered who the first casualties would be.
Many thought Landry Shamet would be among those who were lost, but the guard reportedly took a pay cut to rejoin the team.
However, those casualties are now starting to be revealed. Unfortunately, it looks like the New York Knicks will not be retaining the services of their backup big man, Mitchell Robinson.
Mitchell Robinson Leaves Knicks for Celtics
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Mitchell Robinson will be leaving the New York Knicks for the Boston Celtics next season. He will be signing a three-year, $47.4. million deal that includes a player option in the third season. It's clear that the Knicks, and specifically James Dolan, would not have matched that offer.
It seems very clear that Robinson was a casualty of Dolan's refusal to move past the second apron. The basketball operation side of the Knicks wanted Robinson back and clearly appreciated his value on the court.
What do the Knicks Miss Without Robinson?
Last season, during his eighth season with the Knicks, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 72.3% shooting from the field. In his final game as a Knick, Robinson had 10 very crucial rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs that helped the Knicks secure a 94-90 victory to earn a championship.
Very few players in the NBA can secure an offensive rebound like Mitchell Robinson can. He was an anchor in the paint for the Knicks who helped the team play with a certain type of bully-ball mentality, which ultimately netted New York a championship.
It's hard to see who exactly the Knicks replace Robinson with, but if they're trying to stay under the second apron, it'll be incredibly difficult to replace that level of output.
At times, the Knicks would play Mohamed Diawara when teams would intentionally foul Robinson to get him out of the game. However, while Diawara had some important moments in the 76ers series, he is undersized and can't provide what Robinson did.
At this point, many players who could have legitimately helped the Knicks have already been picked up. John Collins has been signed, Nikola Vucevic has been signed, and Walker Kessler was just massively overpaid by the Lakers.
The New York Knicks have a problem on their hands without Mitchell Robinson, and they'll need to figure it out this offseason.
