Mitchell Robinson

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Kolek, Clarkson, Bench

Mitchell Robinson is something of an oddity for the Knicks: a center who can change the offense without scoring a point, writes James L. Edwards III for The Athletic.

Despite opposing teams knowing exactly what Robinson wants to do offensively, he has still found ways to win games for the Knicks in the regular season and playoffs by earning them extra possessions on the offensive glass. Edwards speculates that Robinson’s historic rebounding ability could make him the No. 3 priority on opponent scouting reports, behind only stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

All of that is why Edwards believes that, even with Robinson headed for unrestricted free agency in 2026, the team shouldn’t even consider moving him this season. His ability to give the team additional offensive chances, whether alongside Towns or once the All-NBA center heads to the bench, is too valuable to the Knicks’ championship aspirations this season.

We have more from the Knicks:

  • Josh Hart is out for Saturday’s matchup against the Hawks, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hart left the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Cavaliers early in the fourth quarter after stepping on Dean Wade‘s foot and didn’t return. Miles McBride, who has missed the last seven games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable.
  • Tyler Kolek had another statement performance for the Knicks on Christmas Day, Bondy writes. Kolek finished the night with 16 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — and nine assists, as well as a critical block on Donovan Mitchell in transition with two minutes to go. “That is winning basketball, and he’s been unreal, so credit to him,” Mitchell said after the game, per Bondy. “I knew it wasn’t a foul as soon as they called it, so no shock there, but credit to him.” The team had previously discussed the need to target backup guards in trades, but the emergence of Kolek should give some pause, in Bondy’s opinion. Still, the team will want to see what the rotation looks like once McBride returns to his usual role.
  • Kolek and Robinson weren’t the only Knicks bench players to have a major impact. When the team was “stuck in the mud,” to use coach Mike Brown‘s terminology, Jordan Clarkson came in and got them unstuck, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Clarkson had his best game of the season, scoring 25 points on 17 shots, while the Knicks outscored the Cavs by 13 in his time on the floor. “The times we were dead in the water, especially early in the game, he was the one guy that was keeping us in it,” Brown said. “First with his offense, he was really, really good for us offensively. And then defensively, he was good too.”
  • The Knicks’ depth has been an issue for the last several seasons, but Kolek, Clarkson, and Robinson have taken major strides to ensure that’s not the case this year, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “They change the game. When I was younger, I tried to change the game when I came in off the bench,” said Jalen Brunson. “Tyler’s doing that, Jordan’s been a vet, been around for a long time. He does that every time he’s on the court. And Mitch is being who he is. He just impacts basketball, and so he’s always gonna be impacting the game as well. It’s all about them coming in and changing the game, and that’s their mindset and what they come in and do every single time.” McBride has been a major part of the bench’s success throughout the season, as has Landry Shamet, who is currently out with a shoulder sprain.

Knicks May Move Guerschon Yabusele By Trade Deadline

The Knicks are open to trading Guerschon Yabusele before the February 5 deadline, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

The 30-year-old big man was the team’s top free agency addition over the summer, but he hasn’t been effective in the first two months of the season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per night while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. His numbers across the board are down sharply from what he posted in Philadelphia last season as he returned to the NBA after five years in Europe.

Yabusele is making $5.5MM this season and holds a $5.7MM player option for 2026/27, and multiple league executives tell Edwards that New York will likely have to give up other assets to get another team to take that contract.

The Knicks have been reaching out to rival teams in their search for another ball-handler and frontcourt player, Edwards hears from league sources. They don’t have a veteran lead guard in place who can play dependable minutes when Jalen Brunson rests. Edwards notes that Tyler Kolek has shown promise, especially during the past week, but there’s no guarantee he’s ready to fill that role.

New York is also looking for another big man, as the options on the current roster are limited behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Robinson is having another outstanding rebounding season, pulling down 8.6 boards per game in 18.2 minutes per night, but Edwards states that he’s still on a load management program in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoffs. Robinson has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and the Knicks aren’t in position to withstand a long-term absence.

The Knicks face financial limitations as they eye the trade market because of their proximity to the hard cap. They’ve been carrying 14 players on standard contracts all season and can’t fill their roster opening until early April.

With those restrictions in mind, Edwards identifies a few potential trade candidates:

  • Ayo Dosunmu — The Bulls guard would provide ball-handling and defense, but his $7.5MM salary means New York would have to send back Landry Shamet ($2.3MM), who was productive before injuring his shoulder, or possibly Pacome Dadiet ($2.9MM) or Kolek ($2.2MM) along with Yabusele or Miles McBride ($4.3MM). Edwards is skeptical about Chicago’s willingness to take Yabusele’s contract, so McBride would likely have to be part of the deal.
  • Jose Alvarado — Edwards suggests that the Pelicans guard may be more obtainable than Dosunmu, and his contract ($4.5MM with a $4.5MM player option for next season) would be easier to fit onto the roster. He also points out that the Knicks have multiple second-round picks that could be used to entice New Orleans to part with Alvarado.
  • Marvin Bagley III — His defense remains shaky, but he has been scoring and rebounding for the Wizards and his $2.2MM cap hit makes him an inexpensive option as a third center. Edwards believes he might be obtainable for a second-round pick.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Kolek, Robinson, Schedule, McBride

OG Anunoby threw in a rare clunker in a nine-point Knicks loss to Philadelphia on Friday. Anunoby had just two points on 1-of-9 shooting and wasn’t much of a factor defensively, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes.

“I thought he was aggressive on his drives, he didn’t get any calls,” coach Mike Brown said. “It’s a weird game and the officials, they got a tough job but I don’t know if I’ll ever understand what’s a foul and what’s not a foul. Because guys, especially quick guys, they’ll put their head down and they’ll drive from point A to point B and if you lead with your chest, and they’re able to flop or fall off you good enough, it’s a foul. OG is a big, strong guy. When he drives, he doesn’t do that, he’s trying to attack the rim. He’s getting rerouted on his drive, but he can’t seem to get a call. “

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Tyler Kolek had an off night on Friday after some strong performances, including a 16-point, 11-assist outing vs. Indiana on Thursday, Schwartz notes. The reserve guard finished with two points, two assists, four turnovers and five fouls in 15 minutes vs. Philadelphia.
  • Notoriously poor free throw shooter Mitchell Robinson only missed one of his eight attempts on Friday after changing his routine. “We’ve just been working on a lot of arc on the free throws,” he said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “We went in there this morning actually like 10 AM but it paid off tonight. So I guess we’re gonna put that in the routine now.” Robinson also said he’s changed the mechanics of his shot. “It feels way more comfortable,” he said. “Getting my elbow under it. Getting it up in the air a little more. It’s been great.”
  • Friday’s loss snapped a seven-game winning streak but might have been predictable, according to Schwartz. Following their NBA Cup triumph this week, the Knicks had to play a back-to-back. They won at Indiana despite being shorthanded on Thursday. “These guys are human,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, we try to pride ourselves on being a no-excuse team. We’re gonna go out and play to the highest possible standard, or the highest possible level. Most times, we’ll probably have it, but tonight we didn’t.”
  • Miles McBride is doing on-court work but has yet to practice since spraining his ankle, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. The Knicks haven’t practiced or held a shootaround since Monday.

Knicks Notes: Banner, Hart, Brown, Robinson, Kolek

The Bucks and Lakers raised banners in their arenas after winning the first two NBA Cups in 2023 and 2024, and head coach Mike Brown told his players prior to the 2025 final on Tuesday that the Knicks would do the same if they won.

However, the team has reversed course on that plan, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, who reports that the Knicks won’t hang a banner for this year’s NBA Cup championship after all. A league source tells Bondy that the decision was made because the Knicks are “focused on the bigger picture.”

The team will still celebrate winning the in-season tournament before Friday’s home game against Philadelphia, Bondy writes.

Here’s more on the NBA Cup champs:

  • The Knicks have won nine of 10 games since reinserting Josh Hart into their starting five. As Vincent Goodwill of ESPN writes, Brown referred to a November meeting between him and Hart as an important turning point. “I was open and honest,” the Knicks’ head coach said. “He hadn’t played a lot in the preseason because he got hurt early on, so I didn’t have a great feel for how to use him, when to use him, what his game was completely like.” Brown added that Hart took accountability for not playing up to his usual standard early in the season and said the candor in that meeting helped their relationship grow.
  • While Brown was focused early in the season on implementing his own offensive system, rival coaches believe he has pushed those changes less aggressively as of late and has been more inclined to simply let his players do what they do best, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “The first 10 or 12 games, it felt like they were running more,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Now, it seems like they’re settling into personnel. They’re playing a little bit more to the strengths of their main players, but at the same time try to implement ball movement and body movement. Obviously, they’re a very talented team, so it’s the right thing to do to focus on the strengths of those guys and let them be who they are.”
  • OG Anunoby (28 points) and Jalen Brunson (25) were the Knicks’ top scorers in Tuesday’s NBA Cup victory, but a handful of reserves provided crucial contributions off the bench. Bondy of The New York Post singles out center Mitchell Robinson, who racked up 10 offensive rebounds in just 18 minutes of action, while Jared Schwartz of The New York Post takes a look at the contributions the team is getting from second-year guard Tyler Kolek, whose 14 points and five rebounds on Tuesday would be career highs if the game had counted toward the regular season.
  • In case you missed it, we wrote earlier today about the Knicks players who benefited most from the $531K bonus for winning the NBA Cup.

Knicks Win 2025 NBA Cup; Jalen Brunson Named MVP

The Knicks won Tuesday’s NBA Cup final, defeating San Antonio, 124-113, to claim their first in-season tournament title.

Star point guard Jalen Brunson was named MVP of tournament, the NBA announced (via Twitter).

Brunson’s statistics in the championship game were fairly run-of-the-mill by his lofty standards; he finished with 25 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 41 minutes, but shot just 11-of-27 from the field and committed four turnovers. However, he was awarded MVP not only for his play in the final but for the group stage and knockout rounds as well.

According to the league (Twitter link), 20 members of the media selected the MVP and Brunson was nearly a unanimous winner, earning 19 votes. Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who had an outstanding final (29 points on 11-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists), received the other vote.

As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, the Spurs were up 11 points with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, but the Knicks rallied behind major contributions from reserves Mitchell Robinson (15 rebounds — including 10 offensive — in 18 minutes), Tyler Kolek (14 points, five rebounds, five assists in 20 minutes), and Jordan Clarkson (15 points in 27 minutes).

Brunson made sure to credit Anunoby, Robinson, Kolek and Clarkson after he was awarded MVP. Without them, we don’t win this,” Brunson said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). 

Rookie guard Dylan Harper scored a team-high 21 points for San Antonio in the loss, and also matched a team-high with seven rebounds.

Head coach Mike Brown told the Knicks before the game that a banner would be raised in Madison Square Garden if they won, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (via Twitter).

Knicks Notes: Home Record, Hart, Robinson, Brunson

The Knicks cruised to a 22-point victory over Toronto on Sunday and are now 10-1 at Madison Square Garden this season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who led a balanced offensive attack with a team-high 22 points, was quick to credit the home fans for the team’s success.

Our fans make playing at home so fun, and the support they give us and energy they give us is priceless, so 10-1 — of course we want to give the fans the best product, the best version of ourselves every single night,” Towns said. “But it’s really the fans that bring out the best in us and shout-outs to them. They’ve carried us to the finish line many more than just home games.”

Here’s more from New York:

  • Veteran wing Josh Hart has been playing his best basketball of the season since OG Anunoby went down with a hamstring strain. In the seven games leading up to Sunday, Hart averaged 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.1 minutes per night, with a shooting slash line of .521/.385/.783. He had an excellent all-around outing Sunday, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals two days after recording 19 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the win over Milwaukee. “Josh, he’s a baller,” head coach Mike Brown said after Friday’s game, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “It doesn’t matter what you throw in front of him, he just goes and balls out. That’s what you love about him. He just gets it done in any role that you give him. He’s shown he can help you coming off the bench, he’s definitely shown he can help you as a starter. He’s playing high-level basketball.”
  • Hart has made a strong case to stay in the starting lineup when Anunoby eventually returns, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Brown said he’s been pleased with Mitchell Robinson‘s performance as a member of the second unit. “I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far,” Brown said after Robinson’s six points, seven rebounds and two steals off the bench Friday. “Mitch has given us a great punch off the bench. His ability to offensive rebound against starters and backups has been huge for us. So he has to keep bringing that to the table. So he gives us a different look in the starting lineup and then gives us a different look when he comes off the bench.”
  • Brown thinks star point guard Jalen Brunson belongs in the Most Valuable Player conversation, Begley adds. “He should be talked about right now — it’s early — but as a potential MVP,” Brown said Friday. “There’s not enough chatter — which, it’s early, so I’m not throwing a fit — but the guy had 37 tonight on 12-of-21. And he gets blitzed often and he makes the right basketball play. He basically did what he was supposed to do and that’s why I don’t talk about it a lot because that’s what he’s capable of doing and that’s what he’s supposed to do, being of that stature.”

Knicks Notes: Starting Five, Hart, NBA Cup, Point Guard

During the first few weeks of the 2025/26 season, Mike Brown‘s preferred starting lineup for the Knicks featured Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson, with Landry Shamet stepping in when Anunoby went down with a hamstring strain.

With Shamet now sidelined due to an injury of his own, Anunoby still recovering, and Robinson no longer treated as an every-game starter, Brown said this week that he plans to stick for now with a smaller starting five that features Josh Hart and Miles McBride alongside Brunson, Towns, and Bridges, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks used that group in victories over Brooklyn on Monday and Charlotte on Wednesday.

“[I’ll] continue to stay with it to see what direction it goes,” Brown said. “Everything is fluid in this business. Anything can happen at any time.”

Brunson said there’s “obviously chemistry” among those five players, who were the Knicks’ most-used players besides Anunoby last season. Bondy, meanwhile, argues that it’s probably the team’s fastest and most offensively talented lineup until Anunoby is ready to return.

Still, the numbers don’t suggest it’s been the Knicks’ best lineup so far. In 35 minutes together, that Brunson-Towns-Bridges-Hart-McBride group has a net rating of -10.3.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • After averaging 23.7 minutes in his first 10 outings this season, Hart has logged 33.2 MPG in his past six appearances — more importantly, he’s seeing more action in fourth quarters. Brown acknowledged on Wednesday that keeping Hart on the bench for a couple fourth quarters earlier in the month was a mistake, Bondy writes. “I’ll be the first to say that wasn’t the right thing to do because he does so many great things for us and our group and our coaching staff,” Brown said. “And obviously as time has gone on, we’ve gotten a better feel for how we’re going to play him and he’s got a better feel, too. But back then he obviously could’ve b—hed or complained or threw a fit. He didn’t. And he continued to believe in the process, even though what I was doing was wrong at the time.”
  • Hart was robbed of $185K in watches and jewelry in September, according to a report from Amanda Woods, Estrella McDaniel, and Matt Troutman of The New York Post. The theft occurred at a New York City hotel on September 5 when Hart, who was in town for a podcast event, was out of his room.
  • With a win over Milwaukee on Friday, the Knicks will clinch the top spot in their NBA Cup group and become the only team to advance to the knockout round in three straight years. The team is taking that opportunity seriously, according to Brown. “Yes, we talk about [the NBA Cup],” the Knicks’ head coach said, per Bondy. “I think in life, pressure is a privilege, so you try to manufacture it from time to time. I think if you’re in a situation where there is pressure, you’re doing pretty good because obviously if you’re competitive you’re going to put pressure on yourself no matter what. So trying to feel it from the outside a little bit as much as you can is a privilege and it gets you ready for the postseason, in my opinion, so I bring it up to our guys.”
  • Hart suggested that the NBA Cup champion should be awarded a half-win to give that team the tiebreaker advantage in the regular season standings at season’s end, according to Bondy. As it stands, the NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count at all toward the regular season, so the only incentive is the prize money at stake. “For me, that’ll be watch money,” Hart joked.
  • Ian Begley of SNY.tv (YouTube link) fields a handful of Knicks-related questions in his latest video mailbag, including a couple about the team’s likely priorities at the trade deadline — Begley believes a reliable backup point guard will be at the top of New York’s wish list.

Knicks Notes: Hart, McBride, Towns, Shamet, Robinson

Entering Monday’s matchup with Brooklyn, the Knicks had lost three of their past five games and had allowed 123 points per contest during that stretch. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post wrote ahead of Monday’s game, a lack of on-ball defensive stoppers has been an issue, especially with OG Anunoby sidelined due to a hamstring strain.

“I’m confident we can be where we need to defensively,” head coach Mike Brown said on Sunday. “We played well in some instances and we haven’t played well. That’s what you go through especially during this part of the year. So I do think we can be a really good defensive team, but again, no matter who we throw out there, we’ve gotta have a feel and understanding of what we’re trying to do on that end of the floor to get things done.”

The Knicks got Miles McBride back on Monday following a one-game absence due to an illness and inserted him into the lineup alongside forward Josh Hart, who got his first start of the season as part of a smaller starting five, Bondy tweets. The result was exactly what Brown wanted to see — New York held the Nets to 100 points en route to a victory, with Hart recognized as the team’s defensive player of the game, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown told reporters after the win that he was pleased with the way Hart spoke after Saturday’s loss about the Knicks needing to change their mentality on defense, then backed up those comments with his performance against Brooklyn.

That’s what leadership is about,” Brown said.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 14-of-20 performance against Brooklyn on Monday was easily his best shooting night of the season. The 37-point outburst was an important development for a star “in desperate need of reprieve,” according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, who wonders if the game could be a turning point for Towns. The big man entered the night averaging 21.7 PPG on .429/.318/.877 shooting.
  • The Knicks have yet to share an update on Landry Shamet‘s diagnosis after he left Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury. As Bondy writes for The New York Post, if Shamet dislocated his shoulder like he did a year ago, he may have to decide whether to undergo potential season-ending surgery or try to return sooner by going the non-surgical route again. “Obviously, we know how valuable he is,” Mikal Bridges said of the reserve guard. “But it’s next guy. Next guy has to step up. A lot of guys in the locker room that’s ready. Just next man up, honestly.”
  • Brown recently told reporters that Mitchell Robinson‘s agent has been involved in the load management plan for the veteran center this season. Bondy explores what that means for Robinson, who is in a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
  • Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their early-season impressions on the Knicks, including evaluating the job that Brown has done with the team so far. Edwards likes the way in which Brown has empowered some second-unit players, while Katz says it’ll take more time to assess the new head coach’s impact, since he has spent the first few weeks of the season experimenting with his lineups and personnel.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Robinson, Clarkson, 3-Point Defense

Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson was diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain last week. On Monday, Brunson was already spotted firing up jump shots in Miami’s Kaseya Center, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.

Now, there’s a possibility he’ll be back as soon as Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable to play against Dallas, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets. Brunson has missed the last two games, in which the Knicks split a home-and-home with the Heat.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Mitchell Robinson logged fewer than 20 minutes against the Heat on Monday and hasn’t exceeded 20 minutes in any games he’s played. However, that could change as soon as the next game. “[His minutes limit] has increased. It’s gone up three times,” coach Mike Brown said, per Bondy. “It’s all part of the load-management thing. So it’s not necessarily a restriction. It’s just continuing the process with our load management. So it’s going up. He could’ve played 27 minutes.”
  • Jordan Clarkson admits that spending the last couple of years with the rebuilding Jazz affected his play. He has a different mindset playing for a contender this season. “It’s a level of focus. I’m glad to be back in this and part of this and back contending, be in the playoffs and know that we’re playing for something,” Clarkson told Bondy. “That changes a player’s mindset. It’s just a bunch of focus that goes into it and I’m locked in.” Clarkson scored 24 and 14 points, respectively, in the two matchups with Miami. He’s shooting 46.7% overall and 38.8% from deep this season — both marks would be well above his career averages.
  • In a film breakdown, The Athletic’s James Edwards III displays how the Knicks’ defensive schemes, which are focused on sealing off the paint, allows opponents to pursue three-point opportunities. The Knicks are second worst in the league in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Bridges, Hart, Robinson, Anunoby

When the Knicks used most of their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Guerschon Yabusele over the summer, they envisioned him being a key member of the rotation in 2025/26. It hasn’t worked out that way this fall, with the French power forward largely struggling in his limited minutes, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.

Yabusele isn’t solely to blame for his sluggish start, according to head coach Mike Brown.

It’s the circumstance sometimes,” Brown said. “I put him in, take him out. It’s a little hard to get a rhythm doing that. I’ve got to take some blame in that as well. And I think over time, because he’s a really good basketball player, he’ll show it. He needs some minutes to show it, and I don’t know if those are always there for him.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • After a five-game winning streak, the Knicks were pummeled by Orlando on Wednesday. More importantly, Jalen Brunson injured his right ankle late in the lopsided defeat, though it doesn’t sound like it will be a long-term issue. Key wings Mikal Bridges (one minute) and Josh Hart (zero) were benched by Brown for nearly the entire fourth quarter, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bridges had no explanation for the decision. “I’m not sure,” said Bridges, who scored a season-low six points on 3-of-9 shooting. Hart said the team will be looking to bounce back on Friday against Miami, Bondy writes. “I don’t think we responded properly [to Orlando’s physicality],” Hart said. “So, learned a lesson. We have a tough, physical opponent on Friday. And we got to respond.”
  • While the playing time and workload of Mitchell Robinson continue to be carefully monitored by the team’s medical staff, Brown pushed back on the suggestion that the 27-old center would continue to frequently sit out games throughout the season, per Winfield. Brown made the comments after Tuesday’s win over Memphis, when Robinson was inactive for the front end of a back-to-back. “Well, I’m not sure about that,” Brown said. “We just gotta take that thing one game at a time and follow the lead of our medical people in terms of what the process is gonna be.”
  • Brown said Tuesday that OG Anunoby deserves to be an All-Star for the first time, as Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News relays. Brown credited the 28-year-old forward’s work ethic and said he has improved in multiple facets of the game while still getting used to the new system. “Not only is he an All-Star, he’s an All-Defensive performer,” Brown said. “In my opinion, he should have an opportunity, amongst others in our group, to fight for Defensive Player of the Year in the league.”