Knicks Rumors: NY Targeting Robin Lopez to Back Up Mitchell Robinson
The New York Knicks are reportedly planning to target Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez when he becomes an unrestricted free agent Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Saturday the Knicks view Lopez as a potential veteran backup to second-year center Mitchell Robinson.
The 31-year-old Stanford product enjoyed a resurgent stretch run of the regular season for Chicago. He averaged 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 58.5 percent from the field in 24 appearances following the All-Star break.
"There's always going to be a market for—I guess here I go patting myself on the back—but you know, smart, intelligent, tall big guys," he told reporters in April. "If you know your way around the basketball court, if you know what you're supposed to be doing out there to help yourself and help out other guys, height's something that they obviously say you can't teach. That's something that's tough to go against."
Lopez, who spent the 2015-16 season with the Knicks, added he was hopeful of remaining with the Bulls: "I would love to be with these guys. I love the guys I'm playing with right now. I love them."
Meanwhile, the Knicks reportedly have more prominent targets on their radar heading into free agency.
New York has been linked to a wide-range of high-profile free agents in recent months, but perhaps the most intriguing scenario came to into spotlight Saturday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard discussed joining forces with the Knicks.
So the team's front-office will likely spend the early stages of the offseason focused on those pursuits, but it could circle back to Lopez during the second wave of free agency.
He'd help create a strong one-two punch for New York with Robinson, who showcased plenty of promise while averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks and shooting 69.4 percent as a rookie.
