Mitchell Robinson has had a good season as the backup center for the New York Knicks. He was instrumental in the Knicks’ Game 2 win in the NBA Finals, as he stood like a wall against Victor Wembanyama on the final play. He is in the final year of his 4-year, $60 million deal with the Knicks, and the Lakers are reportedly interested in the center.
The Lakers’ frontcourt woes are still lingering, even after they signed Deandre Ayton to pair with Luka Doncic. NBA insider Jake Fischer gave an update on X about the franchise’s interest in signing Mitch in the offseason:
“Teams regularly relayed to me when I’ve asked around about Robinson’s status have pointed to the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers and Raptors. Those are all clubs known to be looking for center upgrades.”
Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent after this season and might be an NBA champion too. The Lakers would be willing to get that kind of experience on the roster. Moreover, he might have an opportunity to play more minutes and make a larger impact.
Even though Robinson is not a dynamic center that the NBA is accustomed to nowadays, with fadeaway jumpers and deep shooting, he can be a serious lob threat with someone like Doncic, Austin Reaves, or LeBron James handling the ball. For now, all his focus might be on getting the Knicks and himself a ring.
“I knew we needed stops,” Mitchell Robinson describes his clutch defensive play
In the final seconds, when the clock showed eight seconds in the regulation and the San Antonio Spurs had the ball, Mitchell Robinson was sent on the floor for the difficult task. Everyone in the arena knew where the ball was going, and so did Mitch, who had already collected three early fouls against the French center.
However, Robinson pulled it off without fouling Wemby, and the team took a 2-0 lead towards the Larry O’Brien Trophy. After the game, he described what went on in his mind before his clutch defensive play. He said:
“I know we needed stops, and I had picked up a few fouls on them, I think like three early on. So, in my mind, I was like ‘defend without fouling.’ That was kind of like how it went, just so you know, great contest.”
The Knicks are now headed to Madison Square Garden for Game 3, where President Donald Trump is also scheduled to appear to back his home team. Meanwhile, the Lakers were also seemingly interested in Robert Williams, as the franchise president, Rob Pelinka, had earlier highlighted. Let’s see which way the front office will go in the offseason.
READ MORE: Lakers Rumors: Rob Pelinka Circles Back on Free Agent Coming Off $13,285,713 Contract
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