Whom could Knicks target to fill in for Mitchell Robinson? Exploring 3 trade candidates

The New York Knicks’ already peculiar center situation just got even more wonky. League sources confirmed Monday that Mitchell Robinson likely won’t be ready to play until December or January as he continues to rehab an ankle injury that forced him to get surgery in May.

This news comes months after New York was unable to retain center Isaiah Hartenstein, who excelled as a starter with Robinson sidelined for most of the year but chose to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency. As things stand now, the Knicks will enter one of the most anticipated seasons in recent franchise history with Precious Achiuwa, Jericho Sims and All-Star forward Julius Randle likely to share the five-spot minutes. League sources told The Athletic that New York, despite the Robinson news, is confident in the team’s depth and versatility. And while that may be true, the Knicks don’t really have a choice.

Assuming New York has no interest in shaking up its core group in the coming weeks, the sizable salaries needed to bring in an impactful addition via trade aren’t there — unless the Knicks are ready to move on from Robinson and the 125 games he’s missed since 2020 and another team is willing to trade for a player who might not be able to play until January. The Knicks don’t even have the option to move Achiuwa and his $6 million salary in the near future, as he signed a one-year deal this summer and can’t be traded until Jan. 15 at the earliest. That leaves backup point guard Miles McBride and his $4.7 million salary as the biggest and most realistic tradable contract for Leon Rose and company if they were to look externally to add big-man depth.

It might behoove the Knicks to just sit tight and endure any potential shortcomings that may come with not having Robinson for the next few months. There just isn’t a clear pathway to an upgrade of any significance without moving on from someone like Randle or Robinson himself. As mentioned before, maybe New York is at a place where it is considering a move for Robinson because of his lack of availability. Regardless, the Knicks likely need to do something to address the center spot sooner rather than later.

Here, we’ll take a look at some trades and names that could make sense.

Knicks receive: Isaiah Stewart, two future second-round picks
Detroit Pistons receive: Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride and a 2025 first-round pick (via Detroit)

Moving on from Robinson will only happen if the Knicks are growing impatient with his lack of availability and want to try and add someone who could be a potential difference-maker.

Yes, Stewart has played on a historically bad Detroit team the last few seasons, but he has been one of the few bright spots. The 23-year-old big man is a different defender from Robinson, but a good one as well. His value really shows in switches, as he’s able to stay in front of guards and make them uncomfortable.

Stewart isn’t the rim protector Robinson is, but at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he can be a disruptor around the basket. Even-younger Pistons center Jalen Duren might be another option worth looking at for the Knicks, but with where the franchise is right now and where it wants to go, what Stewart provides defensively would be more valuable than what Duren, who needs to make real progress on that end, might provide down the line.

Offensively is where adding someone like Stewart could be fun for the Knicks. He’s nowhere near the lob threat Robinson is, but he knocked down 38.3 percent of his 3.8 attempts per game from 3 last season. Stewart is trending toward becoming a respectable floor-spacing big man at the center spot, and that would be a nice wrinkle for a Knicks team that hasn’t had that archetype at the position in recent years.

Giving up McBride might be a tough pill to swallow, but the Knicks need someone to make the salaries match, and they have Cameron Payne to use as the backup point guard if needed. As for the first-round pick, it was Detroit’s to begin with, and if New York keeps it, it’s more likely to turn into two second-round picks as it remains heavily protected. The rebuilding Pistons don’t appear to be playoff-bound in the very near future. That pick has more value to Detroit than any other team.

On the flip side, the Pistons can afford to let Robinson rehab and recover until January because they also have Paul Reed, who is capable of backing up Duren at center. Detroit doesn’t have a natural backup point guard currently, so McBride would fit right in.

A deal like this would be a bit of a surprise, but it’s not impossible.

Knicks receive: Walker Kessler
Utah Jazz receive: Miles McBride and 2025 first-round pick (via Detroit)

This is pretty straightforward. The Knicks are unable to take back more salary than they send out, so to get someone like Kessler, who is owed $2.9 million this season, they would have to trade McBride or the combination of rookies Tyler Kolek and Pacôme Dadiet. Given that the Knicks are short on inexperienced, young talent as they try to chase a championship, the former seems more practical.

Kessler would provide the interior defense New York will miss in Robinson’s absence and act as a lob threat on the other end.

Again, Payne is there to provide backup point guard minutes with McBride gone, and that Detroit first, with its protections (2025: 1-13 stays with the Pistons; 14-30 to NYK; 2026: 1-11 stays with Pistons; 12-30 to NYK if not already settled; 2027: 1-9 stays with the Pistons; 10-30 to NYK if not already settled; and then turns into two second-round picks if not conveyed after 2027), still feels more likely to never convey into a first-round pick based on where the Pistons are in their rebuild. However, it’s not impossible in a bad Eastern Conference and with the emergence of Cade Cunningham last season, so there is a world in which the Pistons are a Play-In team in 2026. That is something to weigh for the Knicks’ front office.

Knicks receive: Nick Richards and a future second-round pick
Charlotte Hornets receive: Miles McBride and Keita Bates-Diop 

I’m not sure I would do this deal if I were the Knicks, but I’m trying to give you an idea of how slim the pickings are given New York’s financial restraints if it wants to add center depth without giving up a big contract. Finding a third center/team was a chore (there are so few options available), but this would, technically, do the trick.

Richards, who league sources tell The Athletic is someone the Knicks have had on their radar this offseason, is a big, physical specimen with a good motor. He rebounds OK, too, and can be disruptive at the rim. McBride, though, is the best player in this deal, so I’d be hesitant to do this particular trade if I were running the Knicks’ front office, even if it addresses a need.

New York is in a tough spot. There are ways to lessen the blow, like with the deals (or variations of the deals) mentioned above, but all come with hesitation in one form or another. Also, don’t forget that the Knicks could just sit tight and trust in what they have available. Either could work. We just don’t know. And they don’t either.

This situation will be fascinating to monitor over the next few weeks and months.

(Photo of Isaiah Stewart dunking the ball over Isaiah Hartenstein: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)