Woj: Mitchell Robinson, Knicks Continue to Discuss Contract Extension Ahead of FA

Mitchell Robinson and the New York Knicks are reportedly continuing to discuss a contract extension ahead of free agency, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Sunday on NBA Countdown.

“For the Knicks, Greeny, the looming free agency of their 23-year-old starting center, Mitchell Robinson—it’s a concern for New York. They’ve had talks throughout the season with his agent, Thad Foucher, about an extension. The Knicks can pay Robinson, under the collective bargaining agreement, four years and upward of $48 million before June 30. They’ve not reached an agreement on that, and it’s unclear that they will before free agency when Robinson will be unrestricted.”

Wojnarowski's report comes after Robinson said earlier this month that he was not thinking about a contact extension.

“I’m just going to continue to play hard, see what happens,’’ Robinson told reporters. “I don’t think about it that much. I just want to hoop. That’s what I’ve got an agent for. He handles that so I can focus on basketball."

The Knicks selected Robinson in the second round of the 2018 draft and signed him to a four-year, $5.8 million deal. Despite missing most of the 2020-21 campaign with a broken hand and foot, the 23-year-old has been a bright spot for the Knicks this season. 

Robinson is averaging 8.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 75.9 percent from the floor in 54 games as New York's starting center. If he were to become a free agent, it's unclear who the team would turn to to fill the vacant position. 

The Knicks currently have Taj Gibson, Nerlens Noel and Jericho Sims all fighting for time on the court. However, it's uncertain if head coach Tom Thibodeau would be willing to start any of those players next season.

As for Robinson, it's unclear what type of deal he would be looking for. However, Heavy.com's Sean Deveney revealed that an NBA general manager believes he could command a three-year, $33 million contract in free agency. 

“I was asking around, I asked a GM about Robinson and what he thought might be a fair deal for him, a likely deal and he said, around the midlevel. This is what I was told, three years, $33 million would be a likely contract. It’s not a breaker of the bank necessarily, but it is a significant contract and it is one I’m not sure the Knicks really want to take on with Julius Randle’s extension kicking in.”

If Robinson were to remain with the Knicks, he could sign a deal worth up to $55 million over five years. At this point, it seems he'd be better off taking his chances as a free agent, though it's uncertain which teams might be interested in signing him.