The Los Angeles Lakers need to add another center to the roster this offseason, and Mitchell Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent. The belief was that the Knicks, fresh off their first title in 53 years, would re-sign the big man, but after what James Dolan said Wednesday on WFAN, that may not be the case.
“There’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron — cannot go into the second apron. I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”
The only reason a team should be willing to go into the second apron, with all of its penalties, is if it's a contender. The Knicks are just that, but Dolan could get in the way. No mind that the reason New York ended its championship drought is that the owner took more of a hands-off approach, giving Leon Rose the reins.
Los Angeles should hope that Dolan meant what he said, though, as New York can't re-sign Robinson and avoid the second apron. As Bobby Marks projected, the Knicks will be $13 million from reaching that point this summer. He made $13 million this season, and his next deal could pay him in that range annually.
Knicks may choose not to pay Mitchell Robinson in free agency
Robinson doesn't exactly jump off the page as an ideal Lakers fit, but that's because of his injury history. He did play 60 games in 2025-26, but that was with the Knicks managing his minutes throughout the entire season. They didn't have to rely on him as a starter, having him come off the bench behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
If Los Angeles signed him in free agency, it'd be under the hope that Robinson would be able to stay healthy enough to be a starter. His rim protection and rebounding could be enough for the Lakers to do that, pairing the 28-year-old with Luka Dončić, who is less than a year younger than the center.
It's been two years since Robinson was the Knicks' primary starting center, but he is more than capable of sliding back into that role with the Lakers. He'd give Dončić the lob threat that he's looking for, and would be more effective than Deandre Ayton, who has an $8.1 million player option for next season.
Of course, it helps that Robinson has a wealth of playoff experience, including winning a championship. If Dolan truly wasn't just saying stuff for the sake of hearing himself speak, the center won't be back in New York next season, and he could have several potential suitors in free agency. Maybe one of those will be Los Angeles, depending on Walker Kessler's status.
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