Knicks Mailbag: With Mitchell Robinson out, will NY add a center before season starts?

SNY’s Ian Begley will be responding to Knicks questions from readers. Here’s the latest…

Ian…Perhaps the Knicks should trade Mitchell Robinson to Portland for Robert Williams? – @hoppysport

This brings up a major question for the Knicks: do you start the season with what you have or do you try to make a trade immediately to replace the injured Mitchell Robinson?

As noted on Wednesday, the Knicks have expressed confidence in the depth and versatility of the team in the aftermath of the Robinson news. In speaking with people in touch with the team, the Knicks seem to be open to seeing how the current roster looks at the moment. They haven’t given the impression that they are rushing to trade for a starting-caliber center.

I can say this with certainty: they’ve known for weeks that Robinson may not be ready for the start of the season. This was communicated to outside parties by the Knicks when they were looking at the center market in the offseason. I don’t know exactly when the Knicks knew of Robinson’s current timetable. But it’s fair to assume that the timeline wasn’t a huge surprise internally.

I point that out because if you look at the Knicks’ recent signings – Landry Shamet, Marcus Morris Sr. – they haven’t operated like a team desperate for a starting-caliber center.

Maybe that changes based on what they see in training camp or the preseason. But the Knicks don’t have many avenues to salary match in trades unless you include Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo or Julius Randle. Also, Tom Thibodeau already said on the record that he is comfortable playing Julius Randle at center for 15 minutes per game.

That theoretically leaves 33 minutes between Jericho Sims, Precious Achiuwa, and maybe rookie Ariel Hukporti. The Knicks also added Morris with the idea that he can play stretch 4 or stretch 5 against smaller lineups at this point in his career.

Something else worth noting: outside of Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, what back-to-the-basket threat will the Knicks have to deal with in the Eastern Conference? That’s not to discount what Robinson and the departed Isaiah Hartenstein meant to the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/knicks-mailbag-mitchell-robinson-ny-151000169.html

Author : SNY

Publish date : 2024-09-27 15:10:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.