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Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks dribbles during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on January 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks are fresh off of winning their first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night. In a hard-fought Game 5, the Knicks pulled off another fourth quarter comeback to win it all.

While the championship win is still fresh and being celebrated, the NBA offseason is quickly approaching. In order to enter next season as top-tier contenders to repeat as champions, the Knicks are going to need to continue being aggressive.

One key free agent to watch will be center Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson has played his entire NBA career in New York so far. Originally drafted as the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson has played eight seasons with the Knicks. He has been an extremely valuable role player for New York.

At the end of the day, Robinson is capable of playing a much bigger role. He could choose to leave the Knicks to pursue that bigger role.

Knicks Land Bad Mitchell Robinson News Entering Offseason

FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox has named Robinson as one of the players who won’t be returning to New York next season. He suggested that paying Robinson what it will take to keep him simply doesn’t make sense for the Knicks.

“This postseason, Robinson averaged about 14 minutes and played in 18 games. Though his presence was needed at times, it just doesn’t make sense for the Knicks to pay him a lot to be a backup center when they can find one cheaper that could get the job done,” Wilcox wrote.

“With all the center-needy teams in the NBA right now, it would make a lot of sense for Robinson to land elsewhere, especially after a championship-winning season this year.”

Losing Robinson would be a tough blow for New York’s depth. The defense and rebounding he brings to the court would be missed greatly.

With that being said, let’s take a closer look at what losing Robinson would mean for the Knicks.

What Would New York Lose If Mitchell Robinson Walks?

Throughout the course of the 2025-26 NBA season, Robinson played in 60 games and made 16 starts during the regular season. He averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

In the playoffs, he played in 18 games. He averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Robinson is a quality center who should be playing more than 19.6 minutes per game. With a bigger role, his numbers would undoubtedly skyrocket. He also deserves a pay raise this offseason.

While there is still a chance that he chooses to return to New York and is willing to give the Knicks a hometown discount, there is just as good of a chance that he leaves. Robinson is a name worth keeping a very close eye on when free agency gets underway.