Knicks, Robinson agree to 4-year, $60M contract
Free-agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract to stay with the New York Knicks, his agents, Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of Wasserman Basketball, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
A second-round pick in 2018, Robinson turned out to be the gem of that draft for the Knicks after first-round pick Kevin Knox failed to pan out.
After injuries derailed his 2020-21 campaign, Robinson played in a career-high 72 games (62 starts) last season. He averaged 8.5 points per game while shooting 76.1% from the field on a heavy diet of dunks — the highest in NBA history for a player with more than 250 shot attempts, according to Stathead.com data.
Robinson, 24, is known primarily for his rim protection. He has averaged two blocks per game for his career while playing less than 24 minutes per game.
He made $1.8 million last season, the final year of a four-year deal he signed with the Knicks after the draft.
The Knicks also agreed to a deal with center Isaiah Hartenstein, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Hartenstein, 24, finally found a home with the LA Clippers after stints with Houston, Denver and Cleveland to begin his NBA career, playing a career-high 68 games last season.
He was one of the most effective per minute players in the league, averaging 8.3 points, nearly 5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.6% from the field in under 18 minutes per game.
Hartenstein flashed a unique combination of skills for a center that included an ability to shoot, finish, pass, rebound and block shots; he was the only player in the league this season that averaged at least 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks per 36 minutes.
The Hartenstein deal was first reported by The Athletic.