The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in signing New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson. It's a rational pursuit on Los Angeles' part, as Robinson fits what Rob Pelinka has been reported to be prioritizing in a rim protecting big who can excel as a lob target.
If the Lakers want to turn a rational pursuit into a slam-dunk signing, however, then they must build Robinson's contract offer around his injury history.
Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic revealed in mid-May that the Lakers have promised Doncic that they will find him a big man who fits the mold of former teammates Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. The general idea appears to be that Los Angeles is in the market for a shot-blocking rim protector who can work the pick and roll as a lob target on offense.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Lakers' pursuit of such a player has made them one of several teams that are known to have interest in signing Robinson this summer.
"Teams regularly relayed to me when I've asked around about Robinson's status have pointed to the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers and Raptors. Those are all clubs known to be looking for center upgrades."
Pursuing Robinson is a wise and exciting decision on the Lakers' part—assuming they structure his contract with his injury history in mind.
Lakers should sign Mitchell Robinson—if the contract fits injury history
Robinson's virtues are clear to see. For one, he's an imposing figure at 7'0" and 240 pounds with a 7'4" wingspan. What separates him from the scarce few others who have his type of size and length on their side is how explosive he is as an athlete.
Robinson runs the floor like a wing, soars through the air for highlight-reel finishes, and can block jump shots with enough consistency to make even the best shooters think twice.
Robinson utilizes those abilities to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor. In 2025-26, he averaged 10.4 points, 16.1 rebounds, 7.7 offensive boards, 1.6 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.7 steals per 36 minutes. Each of those numbers somehow only scratch the surface of his impact.
According to Basketball Index, Robinson also ranked in the 90th percentile in rim protection, the 94th percentile in post defense, and the 82nd percentile in screener mobile defense. He was No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rebounds per 75 possessions.
Mitchell Robinson has missed 41+ games in three of the past six seasons
Compounded by his proven ability to take lobs and turn them into an easy two points, Robinson is a thrilling player to see land on the Lakers' radar. The hurdle, however, is in making peace with the fact that Robinson has an extensive injury history.
Robinson appeared in 60 games during the 2025-26 season, but he missed 65 in 2024-25, 51 in 2023-24, and 41 in 2020-21.
Having missed at least half of a regular season in three of the past six campaigns, Robinson can't simply be offered a long-term deal that outbids the competition. However Los Angeles structures his contract, it must be able to prevent his salary from hurting them long-term if his injury issues return.
There's certainly hope that the 28-year-old can avoid injuries moving forward, but the Lakers would be doing Doncic a disservice if they were to tie his tenure to Robinson without including the type of protections that his injury history requires.
Add us as a preferred source on Google