Report: Knicks shopping their longest-tenured player

Nov 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; General view of the in-season tournament court logo during warmups before a game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks may be turning the page on a player who dates all the way back to the David Fizdale era.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reports Friday that the Knicks have contacted opposing teams about the possibility of trading away veteran center Mitchell Robinson. Fischer mentions that fellow Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein is a free agent this summer but says Hartenstein is now generally expected to return to New York (perhaps leaving Robinson as the odd man out).

The seven-footer Robinson, 26, was a Knicks’ second-round draft pick in 2018 and has been with the team ever since then, making him their longest-tenured player. He brings plenty of value to the team with his high-leaping ability and his motor on both ends of the floor, especially when it comes to rebounding. But Robinson is also injured quite often and missed over 50 games during the regular season with a concerning foot problem. He then returned in late March but injured the same foot again during the Knicks’ playoff run, ending his year early.

Robinson is about to enter the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract with the Knicks. While Hartenstein’s return may not necessarily be a totally sure thing, it appears that the Knicks’ preferred scenario would be to retain Hartenstein as their starter and find a cheaper and less injury-prone center to back him up.