The Knicks’ decision to let Mitchell Robinson walk may have landed as a cap-sheet move in the moment, but nearly four months later it still hangs over the team like a bad bounce that won’t stop rattling around the rim.
That reality surfaced again at Media Day, when Karl-Anthony Towns was asked about Robinson being gone. He didn’t hide the surprise.
“I was very surprised,” Towns said, as reported by Ian Begley. “I was very surprised that Mitch wasn’t gonna be back here with us.
I think all of us were. It was a surprise to everybody.
Thought something would get done there.”
That reaction says plenty. Robinson wasn’t just another rotation piece.
He was the longest-tenured Knick, a fan favorite and one of the league’s best offensive rebounders. He also gave New York something hard to replace: real rim protection behind its wings, and the option to rest Towns without feeling like the whole defense was about to crack.
Instead, the Knicks are betting that Andre Drummond can approximate Robinson’s production for a fraction of the price. Drummond can still crash the glass, and he has shown some touch as a shooter from beyond the 3-point line.
But he does not bring Robinson’s foot speed or rim protection, and he doesn’t get to the rim or finish lobs with the same burst. There’s also no guarantee Towns and Drummond can share the floor effectively, and there is no third center on hand.
That matters because Towns has been protected before. In Minnesota and New York, he’s had Rudy Gobert and Robinson to lean on defensively.
Without that kind of partner, the fit gets trickier. The last time Towns played on a team without that sort of support, the Wolves tried Ed Davis and Greg Monroe.
It did not work.
If Towns’ minutes rise this season, the consequences go beyond fatigue. It could complicate his extension picture, too.
Towns has already done everything the Knicks could have wanted and more in helping them to the 2026 championship, but a heavier workload and any early-season dip in production or health would only give the front office more leverage. The Knicks are said to be looking for him to re-sign in the $40-45 million range, which would be about a 30% cut from the $62 million player option he holds for 2027-28.
That’s the awkward part of the new math in New York. When Jalen Brunson took more than $100 million less than he could have to re-sign a couple years ago, it was framed as a noble sacrifice.
But Robinson’s exit showed the other side of that bargain. If the team can move on from a player who spent eight years in New York without asking for an overpay, what message does that send to the rest of the locker room?
It’s a fair question with real stakes. Miles McBride, now the longest-tenured Knick, is extension-eligible.
So are Towns and Josh Hart. McBride, in particular, may be looking at a payday in the $10-15 million range.
If Robinson could give the Knicks everything he did and still be cast aside, why would players with fewer years of service and bigger financial goals go all-out in a walk year?
That’s the headache the Knicks created for themselves. They solved one problem under the second-apron system, but may have opened the door to several more. And with Towns now shouldering more on the floor, the team’s title defense may already be less stable than it looked a month ago.
If the Robinson decision makes Towns’ life harder and the extension talks go sideways, the fallout could stretch even further. Towns could opt out of 2028 and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
If that happens, the Knicks’ hopes don’t just dim. They go from dim to ebon.
In Other News...
Knicks Draft Regret Looks Even Worse With Dadiet Now Stuck
Pacome Dadiets place on the Knicks roster has become more complicated than it looked on draft night, and the concern now is less about what he might become than what it might cost to move him. New York has reportedly seen his trade value dip enough that any deal could require draft compensation, a reminder that second-round swings are not just about upside but about how much flexibility they leave a team later on.
That reality only sharpens the debate around last years draft board, where several players taken in the same range have already looked like cleaner fits. Kyshawn George, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Wells and Oso Ighodaro all came off the board around Dadiet, and each name makes the Knicks decision look a little heavier in retrospect, especially with salary structure and roster space now part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hart Just Made His Knicks Contract Situation More Interesting
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The bigger issue is less about the paperwork than the possible distraction if negotiations drag on. Hart acknowledged the kind of uncertainty that can creep in when extension talks remain open, and he made clear he does not want the situation hanging over the team for long. For the Knicks, it is another reminder that even in a focused locker room, contract questions can quickly become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brunsons Knicks Reaction Made This Celtics Departure Feel Personal
Jalen Brunson has spent the early part of the Knicks summer acknowledging how much Mitchell Robinson meant to the group that reached the championship stage, while also turning the page toward what comes next. Robinsons departure leaves a real void in New Yorks frontcourt, and it is the kind of move that changes both the on-court rotation and the emotional feel of a locker room that had leaned on his presence.
Andre Drummond is now part of that answer, and Brunson sounded encouraged by what the veteran can bring to the mix. The Knicks do not have to wait long for the first test of the transition, either, with early-season matchups looming against the 76ers and Celtics, giving Drummond an immediate chance to settle in and see how New Yorks reshaped big-man group holds up against familiar competition. [Read more 🡒]