Mitchell Robinson Isn’t Closing the Door on a Knicks Return Despite Pay Cut Reality

The rumor mill has been working overtime on Mitchell Robinson’s future in New York, and now the Knicks center is finally addressing it directly.

Fresh off New York’s first NBA championship in 53 years, chatter around the league suggests Robinson could be one of the casualties of the Knicks’ ballooning payroll. The word is that team owner James Dolan is reluctant to go deep into the second apron, which means the Knicks probably can’t match the kind of money other teams will throw at Robinson this summer.

But Robinson himself isn’t ready to pack his bags just yet.

“We can see what happens,” Robinson said, via New York Basketball on X. “It would be great, try to do it, to run it back again, try to go back to back. Defending champs, so we’ll see. It’s a possibility.”

Let’s be real about what that would cost him. The Knicks already have one of the most expensive rosters in the league, one that just ended a half-century championship drought. For Robinson to stay, he’d almost certainly have to take a significant pay cut. And in a league where big men who can protect the rim and clean up on the offensive glass usually get paid, that’s a tough ask.

The Numbers Problem

Robinson’s free-throw shooting is historically rough. Like, among the worst ever for a center rough. But that’s about the only part of his game that doesn’t scream value. Off the bench, he’s a menace on the offensive boards, finishes lobs with authority, and alters shots at the rim. He literally helped seal Game 5 of the Finals against the Spurs with a clutch offensive rebound off a missed free throw.

That kind of impact doesn’t go unnoticed. Teams around the league are going to line up for a chance to throw a premium offer at the 28-year-old. He’s also the longest-tenured Knicks player by a wide margin, which matters in a locker room that just won it all together.

So the question becomes less about whether Robinson wants to stay and more about how much money he’s willing to leave on the table. The Knicks might not be able to get close to what other teams are offering. But they’re offering something money can’t buy: a chance to defend a title with the guys he won it with.

Robinson didn’t sound like a guy who’s already got one foot out the door. He sounded like a guy who’s genuinely weighing his options. And with the free agency window opening soon, the next few weeks will tell us just how much that championship run really means to him.