The New York Knicks have a problem. It’s a good problem, but it’s still a problem. Their roster is getting expensive, and the NBA’s new second apron rules are real. So real that a team like the Knicks might have to let a useful player walk rather than pay the tax penalties.
That player could be Mitchell Robinson. The 7-foot center is an unrestricted free agent, and there’s already buzz that New York won’t bring him back just to stay under that second apron. Which means a handful of teams are circling.
The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned as possible landing spots. Now you can add the Sacramento Kings to that list. According to the Stein Line, the Kings would love to get into the Robinson sweepstakes if they can somehow free up the money.
The problem? Sacramento doesn’t exactly have cap space lying around. They’re tangled up in some veteran contracts and need to do some creative accounting to make a real offer.
But they’re trying.
One path involves Zach LaVine. He just opted into the final year of his deal, and there are teams out there that might want him. If the Kings can find a taker for LaVine’s salary, that opens up some room.
Another possibility is DeMar DeRozan. According to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, Sacramento has talked about waiving and stretching DeRozan’s contract. That’s a move that spreads his cap hit over multiple years and gives them more flexibility right now. O’Connor also reported that the Kings have offered draft picks attached to players in trade talks, trying to dump salary without gutting the roster completely.
“The Kings are trying to clean up their books without cutting too deeply into the talent they still need to remain competitive enough to avoid the draft relegation zone,” O’Connor wrote.
That’s a delicate balance. You can’t just dump everyone and tank, because you don’t want to lose your pick. But you also can’t keep everyone and expect to sign a free agent like Robinson.
And then there’s Domantas Sabonis. He’s the Kings’ best player and he’s been in trade talks. That’s not nothing. If Sacramento really wants to shake things up, moving Sabonis would create massive cap room and bring back assets. But trading your star center just to sign another center? That would be a wild pivot.
Robinson isn’t a perfect player. He’s missed games with injuries, and his offensive game is limited to dunks and putbacks. But he’s exactly what a lot of teams need: a big body who protects the rim, rebounds, and doesn’t demand the ball. In a league where everyone wants floor-spacing bigs, there’s still value in a guy who just anchors the paint.
The Knicks know that. The question is whether they can afford it. And if not, the Kings want to be the team that takes advantage. They just have to figure out the money first.
Leave a Comment