How will Mikal Bridges’ extension affect Mitchell Robinson’s future?

Like Bridges, Robinson is also eligible for a long-term extension this summer as he is set to hit the open market next offseason. He is eligible for a four-year deal worth up to $90 million, which would be a huge price to pay for the big man.

The problem the Knicks are now going to run into is how to keep him long-term without getting hard-capped by the second apron. Along with the Bridges extension, the signings of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson have them right at the second apron, which the team has danced around for the past few seasons.

The Knicks would need to open up cap space to extend Robinson

To extend Robinson, they would need to make some trades to create cap space. Judging by the Knicks’ early offseason strategy, breaking up the core does not seem to be in their best interest, which could mean that the attention turns to Robinson and his future.

Given that his current deal is expiring, New York could look to trade him for some draft capital or a more durable replacement. Robinson has a strong impact on the glass and protecting the paint, but he has been prone to major injuries throughout his career.

Last season, he missed the first 58 games recovering from ankle surgery he underwent last offseason, and didn’t play in back-to-backs upon returning to the lineup. His health is continuously declining, though his trade value is back up after having an impactful (and healthy) postseason.

The Knicks should take advantage of Robinson’s increased trade value

New York might want to take advantage of the increased trade value and open up cap space to still make improvements to the roster. Unfortunately, that would spell the end for Robinson’s tenure after spending all seven seasons of his career with them.

He has been a part of the bad Knicks teams that were fighting for a lottery pick, and is now on a title contender. However, the second apron is a deadly weapon in the league, and New York may have some tough decisions to make over the next few months.

Whether something happens before training camp or during the regular season is unclear. Whether they trade him at all is also unclear, but they will need to reach a conclusion at some point as they continue their team building.