NEW YORK — Mitchell Robinson finally gets his big paycheck.
The 24-year-old center, the product of rare smart Knicks drafting and patience, agreed to re-sign with the Knicks after a brief flirtation with unrestricted free agency, a source confirmed Friday. Robinson’s agents told ESPN that the deal is worth $60 million over four years, although it’s unclear if that includes any incentives or options.
His agent, Thad Foucher, did not respond to requests for comment.
The re-signing is both important and risky for the Knicks. At a tad over 7-feet tall with bounce, Robinson theoretically provides the Knicks exactly what they need from a Tom Thibodeau center — a strong rim protector and finisher in the paint. Two seasons ago, he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA single-season record for field-goal percentage at 74.2%.
Still, Robinson is also an injury risk with recent surgeries on his hand and foot. He’s also intermittently grumped about his role in the offense, and fallen out of shape before playing himself into a more suitable weight.
The New Orleans product, who bypassed college before being drafted 36th overall by the Knicks, was vastly underpaid during his first four seasons in the NBA. Many wonder what a big guaranteed payday will do to his motivation.
His former teammate Nerlens Noel, for instance, signed a $30 million deal last summer and disappeared.
For Robinson, the new contract is roughly a 1,000% raise from his previous deal. It was also a journey to get it. Robinson fired five agents, including power broker Rich Paul, before settling on Foucher.
Negotiations on an extension fizzled over the last year, leaving Robinson as an unrestricted free agent for less than 24 hours before his agency announced the agreement. The Mavericks were interested in Robinson but didn’t have the cap space for a legitimate run. The Pistons, Bulls and Raptors were also linked to him.
“Mitchell had a phenomenal year, was our anchor on defense and took a nice step this year,” Leon Rose said in his only public interview over the last 10 months with the team’s in-house network. “And even showed us a little bit on offense.”
Robinson is expected to start at center and, barring any trades, the Knicks’ lineup is taking shape: PG: Jalen Brunson; SG: Evan Fournier; SF: RJ Barrett; PF: Julius Randle; C: Robinson.
With the additions of Brunson and backup center Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks have no more cap room but can use a $5.1 million exception, according to ESPN cap guru Bobby Marks.
Waiting for RJ
The two players picked ahead of RJ Barrett in the 2019 draft — Ja Morant and Zion Williamson — both agreed to max contract extensions on the first day of eligibility Friday.
Although negotiations can turn in an instant (or one offer), my sense on Barrett is that it’s going to be a longer process. There’s also no rush. The deadline to reach an extension is Oct. 17. If there’s no agreement, Barrett can become a restricted free agent in 2023.
Barrett’s max extension would be five years and roughly $185 million.
