Based on the way Kris Pursiainen of Daily Knicks was talking after the New York Knicks’ Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, it doesn’t sound like Mitchell Robinson will be available in free agency this summer. That takes a potential Los Angeles Lakers target off the table, as they will likely be looking for big man help.
Obviously, anything can happen, and the Knicks may still choose to let Robinson walk in free agency. He would be a very intriguing fit for the Lakers, despite his injury issues of the past. However, should Pursiainen’s prediction come true, then the Knicks would likely just look to retain him in free agency.
Game 1’s performance says so.
Mitchell Robinson probably won't be available for Lakers in free agency
Robinson didn’t end up playing a ton of minutes in the Knicks’ blowout win over the 76ers in Game 1. In fact, he came off the bench and only logged 11:38 of playing time.
Ariel Hukporti played more minutes than Robinson did (17:27). Based on that fact alone, it may seem as though the Knicks could live with letting Robinson walk and avoiding the payday altogether.
However, Pursiainen’s argument is that, despite the fact that Robinson played as few minutes as he did, he still had an overwhelmingly positive impact in those minutes (he was a +6 in his limited time on the court).
If that doesn’t prove how impactful Robinson can be for New York, then nothing does. He grabbed four rebounds in his nearly 12 minutes, scoring four points to go along with it.
From the Lakers’ perspective, Robinson would be a great guy to target, as his defensive abilities and length could make him an ideal partner for Luka Doncic on both ends of the court.
Plus, Robinson is still only 28 years old, so he’s just now entering the prime os his career. Injury issues would definitely be a concern for the Lakers, but his on-court impact is pretty undeniable.
Unfortunately, it’s for that exact reason that Pursiainen doesn’t believe Robinson will end up leaving New York. He thinks the Knicks will make it a priority to bring him back in free agency, or at least, he thinks that they should.
And if that is the case, then the Lakers will have one less big man to choose from in free agency, and that’s certainly not ideal.
LA needs to add a center this summer, one way or another. But it doesn’t seem like that guy will be Robinson.
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