Knicks Rumors: NY Applies for $7.8M DPE After Mitchell Robinson's Ankle Injury

The New York Knicks are hoping to receive salary-cap assistance in the wake of Mitchell Robinson's season-ending ankle injury.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Knicks have applied to the NBA for a $7.8 million disabled player exception after Robinson had surgery last week.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News added that Robinson's injury, while never disclosed by the team, is believed to have been a fracture and the surgical procedure required screws to be inserted into his ankle.

Robinson hasn't played since the Knicks' loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 8. He initially left that game in the first half, but returned to play almost five minutes in the third quarter when his X-rays came back negative.

The Knicks announced on Dec. 11 Robinson would undergo surgery after additional testing revealed a stress fracture in his ankle, and he would be evaluated in 10 weeks.

Third-year center Jericho Sims was moved into the starting lineup after Robinson was injured. He's expected to miss at least one week due to an ankle injury suffered in Monday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Isaiah Hartenstein made his first start of the season in Wednesday's victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He's currently the only true center who is healthy on the Knicks' roster.

NBA rules allow for teams to apply for a disabled player exception if a player is out with what's deemed to be a season-ending injury. If the league approves the exception, teams can use the money to sign a player to a one-year contract, trade for a player or place a waiver claim on a player in the final season of his deal.

In June, the Bulls were granted a $10.2 million disabled player exception with Lonzo Ball out for the season due to knee injuries that have required multiple surgeries.

The $7.8 million exception applied for by the Knicks is half of Robinson's $15.6 million salary this season. He signed a four-year, $60 million extension with New York in July 2022.

A second-round pick in the 2018 draft, Robinson has established himself as an essential part of head coach Tom Thibodeau's starting lineup. He has ranked in the top two in offensive rebounds per game every season since 2021-22, including leading the league last season and through his first 21 starts this season (5.3).