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Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks

Plenty of teams like Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and know how tough he can be to handle as a defender and screen setter over the course of an NBA game. But not quite so many teams see Robinson as a guy they’d like to throw a raft of money at, for obvious reasons. Robinson is only 28, but he has the ankles of a retired player–scratch that, a retirement home player–and is not able to function as a normal starter. Robinson played just 48 games in two seasons before this one, and surprised many by hitting the 60-game mark. Even then, the Knicks were super cautious, playing Robinson only 19.6 minutes.

While the Knicks would like to see Robinson play a full and healthy season, as he heads into free agency this week, his limited health in recent years is seen as something of a Knicks advantage. There are just not that many teams willing to gamble good cap space on such player of such limited availability, and Robinson himself knows that many other teams would not have the patience to nudge him along patiently the way the Knicks have done.

Except, arguably, one: The Lakers.

Knicks Want to Keep Mitchell Robinson

The Knicks are in a bind when it comes to Robinson, and all their free agents, because they’d like to bring everyone back, but owner Jim Dolan has already declared the Knicks will not be a second-apron team. That means the Knicks have about $15 million to keep Robinson … and to fill out the rest of the roster, including signing back Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado.

But it’s less of a bind if Robinson can’t find a credible free-agent offer. He is a candidate to go into a midlevel exception deal, that would start at $15 million, but there are not a lot of teams seeking a part-timer. That’s where the Lakers come in. They have the means and motive to go after Robinson, even with him playing only limited minutes.

Lakers Only Real Threat for Mitchell Robinson?

One Eastern Conference executive pointed out this week that the Lakers are the only team really on the Knicks’ mind when it comes to poaching Mitchell Robinson. As the exec said, “It’s just hard to see him going to someplace like Charlotte or Atlanta or wherever on a midlevel deal if it means leaving the Knicks, if the offer is about the same.”

The Lakers, though, could truly tempt Robinson. Not only do the Lakers have enough money to offer Robinson more than the midlevel, but they have dreams of being a contender, and a veteran roster that would suit Robinson’s outlook.

Lakers and Knicks in Battle

The Knicks are still the best fit for Robinson, if they agree to go over the second apron. But the Lakers are a tight second.

“Mitchell wants to get paid but he is not going to hold anyone over a barrel for the last dollar, and that is to the Knicks’ advantage,” the exec said. “But their big fear, the one big obstacle that the Knicks see to bringing him back now and figuring out the aprons later, that obstacle is the Lakers. Just about everyone else is starting their deals at $15 million. The Lakers can go higher, and they can say, come be one of the faces of a championship team here.”