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Knicks make huge Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet decisions
Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Knicks reportedly make huge Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet decisions ahead of NBA Finals

The New York Knicks still don't know if they will face the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening game of the NBA Finals on June 3. Thus, pockets of Knicks fans are spending the final days of May speculating about the futures of key contributors to the club's current run. 

On Thursday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN suggested that Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson and guard Landry Shamet won't be going anywhere this summer. 

Knicks already prepared for these Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet moves

"Robinson and guard Landry Shamet -- the two top unrestricted free agents from this year's roster -- the belief is that coming off New York's dominant run to the NBA Finals, both will be back," Bontemps shared. "And both will likely be on two-year deals as the Knicks are likely going to go well into the second apron next season and the following anyway, before needing to duck back out."

Shamet has been massive when called upon by the Knicks during what has become an 11-game postseason winning streak. Specifically, he scored 15 points in New York's 108-94 Game 3 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup when Knicks forward OG Anunoby was sidelined with a right hamstring strain. Shamet then went an incredible 11-of-12 from three-point range in the Knicks' sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

How the Knicks will keep Mitchell Robinson

As Zach Braziller of the New York Post noted, Knicks head coach Mike Brown recently insisted that Robinson "can start for any team in the league." Robinson has averaged 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game during the playoffs. 

"In Robinson's case," Bontemps continued, "that's likely a two-year deal above the midlevel exception -- again, the main mechanism that other teams will likely have to try to pry him out of New York -- to keep him as part of the team's center rotation alongside Karl-Anthony Towns."

One unnamed Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps that it's expected the Knicks are "not losing anybody" regardless of what happens in the NBA Finals. Barring a surprising development, it sounds like that executive will be proven right. 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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