With the recent extensions of Clint Capela and Robert Williams, New York Knicks fans might be wondering what this could mean for fellow big man Mitchell Robinson.
Despite his injury history, Robinson remains a key cog for the team’s success, and his loss was noticed in the first-round exit against the Atlanta Hawks.
With the Hawks and Celtics locking up their big men with extensions, and with a report saying the Knicks are open to extending Robinson, it looks like the writing could be on the wall.
Robinson has said he wants to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation in the upcoming season, and by doing so he’d command a lot of money from the Knicks or another team. Let’s take a look at what a potential extension could look like for the young big man.
How Much Money Can He Get?
GettyNew Orleans Pelicans G/F Josh Hart attacks Boston Celtics C Rob Williams at the basket.
An important thing to look at before decided what type of money Robinson can command is exactly what the market looks like.
The Celtics secured Robert Williams with a 4-year/$54 million deal while Capela was given $46 million over two years.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that league insiders believe Robinson can command $44 million over four years. This was before the Capela extension was announced, so it seems fair to assume that Robinson would fall somewhere in between the two.
It’s hard to imagine the Knicks big man getting $20 million a year, so he probably won’t fall into the same ballpark as Capela. Instead, his extension would likely look a bit like Williams’ does.
The big question mark here is Robinson’s ability to stay healthy. When he does, he’s a strong rim protector, but he flashes limited offensive abilities. There’s still plenty of time for him to continue developing, but it’s also important to note the Knicks did just resign Nerlens Noel for another three years.
At this stage, both players offer a similar skillset, and Noel did fill in for Robinson down the stretch while he was injured. In an ideal world, Noel would slot in as the backup while Robinson starts, but that comes down to health.
When Would the Extension Come?
Getty ImagesKemba Walker is fouled by Mitchell Robinson in a 105-75 Knicks win on Sunday
The regular season begins October 19, and if the Knicks was to extend Robinson, reports indicate they’d like to do it before that date.
Contract extension talks become tricky during the season because there are a lot of moving parts. Robinson could have a strong start to the season and try to negotiate for more money, or he could struggle and find himself being offered less.
If he bets on himself and churns out a DPOY season, then he’ll likely be getting a lot more money from a potential extension that he can currently bargain for right now. There’s a lot of risk that would come with a decision like that, but he might not have a choice if a deal isn’t struck before the start of the season.
There’s still a little over a month for the two sides to reach a deal if this timeline is indeed accurate.
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