The Knicks have made their stance on Mitchell Robinson as clear as it gets.
By agreeing to bring back Landry Shamet on a four-year, $24 million deal, New York kept another piece of its 2026 NBA Championship-winning group in place and tightened the screws even further on what it can spend. ESPN reported the Shamet agreement on Monday, and the contract runs through the 2030 season.
That matters because Robinson and Jordan Clarkson are now the only players from that championship rotation still without deals for next season. And if the Knicks are serious about staying under the salary cap’s second apron, as governor James Dolan said they would on WFAN’s The Carton Show, the center’s market inside New York shrinks fast.
Cap expert Yossi Gozlan said on Twitter that after the Shamet signing, the Knicks have only $8.7 million left to offer Robinson and still complete the rest of the roster. That leaves a tough decision hanging over the big man, especially if outside teams are willing to come in higher. The Los Angeles Lakers were mentioned as one possible suitor.
The Knicks already signaled how they’re approaching this summer. They’ve secured more of the championship core, but they’ve also drawn a hard line on spending. That puts Robinson in a position where staying in New York may mean taking a much smaller number than he could get elsewhere.
New York does still have some tools to work with. The team has a $6 million taxpayer mid-level exception and 11 second round picks after its draft-night moves. But there’s no sugarcoating the math: if Robinson is brought back, the Knicks still have to fill out the roster around him with very little room to breathe.
If they manage to keep him and finish the job, the front office will have pulled off something impressive. If not, the Knicks may have to look to free agency or the trade market for help. Kevon Looney is one name that fits, with his history alongside Mike Brown from their Golden State Warriors days.
The draft itself offered New York chances to look for Robinson insurance, but the Knicks passed on potential replacements on both nights. Part of that was necessity. Every dollar mattered, and staying under the second apron took priority.
So now the pressure shifts to Robinson. He can take a lesser deal and stay in the title-defense picture, or he can go after the kind of payday his career has earned. After re-signing everyone else first, the Knicks made the choice around him unmistakable.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Saw A Major Mitchell Robinson Threat Fade Away
The market around Mitchell Robinson looks a lot quieter than it did a few days ago. Brooklyns decision to re-sign DayRon Sharpe and install him as its starting center takes one obvious suitor out of the chase, and several other teams that had been mentioned as possible landing spots have also started to drift away from the picture.
For the Knicks, that should make the retention conversation feel a little less frantic, at least on the surface. The challenge has not disappeared, though, because keeping Robinson still has to fit inside New Yorks financial guardrails, and that means the front office has to thread a narrow path if it wants to avoid losing a valuable piece while also preserving flexibility for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Suddenly Have A Surprising Backup Plan For A Familiar Problem
Jonathan Isaac suddenly finds himself back in the conversation after the Magic waived him to clear the books following Paolo Bancheros rookie max extension. For a Knicks team that has spent plenty of time chasing defensive versatility and frontcourt size, the move creates an interesting market wrinkle around a player whose value has long been tied to what he can do on that end of the floor.
There is, of course, a clear catch. Isaacs recent injury history and limited availability have been part of the reason his price tag could be much more manageable than his talent might suggest, which is exactly why he may end up drawing attention from teams looking for help without a major financial commitment. For New York, the appeal is obvious enough: a familiar kind of problem in the frontcourt, and a possible answer that would not require a heavy lift. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Hold A Quiet Edge In Their Center Search
The Knicks are keeping an eye on the center market, and Kevon Looney has emerged as a name worth tracking as free agency approaches. League reports suggest the veteran big man is expected to have his New Orleans team option declined, which would push him into unrestricted free agency and immediately put several contenders on notice. New Yorks interest makes sense on paper, especially with the kind of steady frontcourt piece the Knicks are expected to monitor this summer.
Looney also appears to be on the radar of other teams, including Boston and Golden State, which means the Knicks will not be operating in a quiet lane. Still, there is some real familiarity here, and SNYs Ian Begley has reported that the interest runs both ways. If the Knicks are looking for an edge in a crowded center search, this is the kind of situation where relationships can matter almost as much as the market itself. [Read more 🡒]