Knicks Hit a Wall in Pelicans Trade Talks After Losing Robinson to Boston

The New York Knicks knew life after Mitchell Robinson would be different. They just didn’t expect it to get complicated this fast.

Robinson’s decision to sign with the Boston Celtics — coming just weeks after the Knicks ended a 53-year title drought — left a hole at backup center that the front office is scrambling to fill. And according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, that search just hit a dead end in New Orleans.

Haynes reported that New York has made multiple trade offers for Pelicans center Yves Missi. All of them got rejected. The Pelicans aren’t budging. They see Missi as a long-term piece, not a rental or a throw-in on someone else’s roster rebuild.

“Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable,” Haynes posted on X.

Missi’s upside is the holdup

Missi has been floating around trade rumors for about a year now. But his development curve — especially his rim protection and mobility for a 7-footer — has convinced New Orleans he’s worth keeping around. Not every young big man gets that vote of confidence from a front office that’s been aggressive on the market.

The Knicks and Pelicans have done business before. Last season, New York traded for guard Jose Alvarado, who ended up hitting huge shots in the NBA Finals — including that wild fourth quarter in Game 4 against San Antonio that flipped the series. So there’s a history of cooperation. But this time, the price tag just doesn’t move.

Losing Robinson hurts in specific ways. His free throw shooting was always an adventure — he shot under 60 percent from the line last season — and that won’t be missed. But the offensive rebounding, the vertical spacing on lobs, the shot blocking at the rim? That’s a different story. Those are the things that made him a weapon in the Knicks’ title run even when his offense was clunky.

Leon Rose and the front office now have to figure out Plan B. The free agent market for backup centers is thin. Trade options might involve players who aren’t as young or cost-controlled as they’d like. And the Eastern Conference didn’t exactly stand still this summer. A handful of rivals got deeper, faster, or both.

New York isn’t in panic mode. They still have the core that won the whole thing. But these are the kinds of roster decisions that decide whether a championship window stays open or starts creaking shut. Nobody in the organization wants to find out which way that hinge swings.