Knicks Lose Center Target to Kings

Another potential New York Knicks signee has chosen to go elsewhere.

According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, third-year big man Orlando Robinson is leaving Florida to the west coast to join the Sacramento Kings.

Robinson, who just turned 24, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, playing in 67 games for the franchise across two seasons as a player on a two-way contract.

Robinson never cracked Miami’s 15-man roster and was waived on July 7. However, he still earned him a spot with the Houston Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League. In Sin City, Robinson proved that he belonged in the NBA by averaging 14.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest for the Rockets. That has helped him land his first spot on a 15-man NBA roster.

Robinson signing with the Kings means that’s one less center that the Knicks could sign if they were to add another backup big man. The Knicks have still yet to sign any centers after the team lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a three-year, $87 million deal.

New York has Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims currently on the roster expected to lead the center rotation, but the Knicks should look to add more if they want to be taken seriously as a contender in the Eastern Conference and NBA. The Knicks also have two-way player and No. 58 overall pick Ariel Hukporti, but he is expected to spend most of his rookie year with the G League team in Westchester.

While the Knicks didn’t sign Robinson, they may be able to still sign Precious Achiuwa, the former New York big man who still remains unsigned nearly a month after the start of free agency.

Time isn’t rushing, but moves like this show that it is still ticking.

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