Kings Interested in Knicks' Mitchell Robinson? What It Means for Domantas Sabonis

The Sacramento Kings could be targeting another center in free agency? According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Kings are expected to show interest in New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson in free agency, despite already having three solid centers in their rotation.

"Still, sources around the league have pegged the Sacramento Kings as a threat to pry away Robinson in free agency. Scott Perry, the GM of the Kings, has long been a fan of Robinson after drafting him the 2018 second round as a member of New York’s front office," Bondy reported.

Granted, it makes sense for Kings GM Scott Perry to target his former players in his first full offseason in Sacramento, but does Robinson actually make sense for this franchise?

Why this move is iffy

Mar 3, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during a break in the action against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Of course, Robinson is a good player. As the backup center on a Knicks squad heading to the Eastern Conference Finals, Robinson is clearly making an impact. Could the Kings benefit from having a shot-blocking, lengthy center of his caliber? Of course. But there are a few reasons why this move does not make much sense.

MITCHELL ROBINSON WITH THE MONSTER SLAM 💪

Take a look at every angle of Mitchell Robinson's thundering Game 3 alley-oop!

Game 4: Sunday 3:30 PM ET, on ABCpic.twitter.com/gdfqsUMM1I
— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2026

For starters, the Kings already have a packed center rotation. With three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis expected to come back healthy after an injury-filled season, he is the team's starting center. Behind him, the Kings have a rising sophomore duo of Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, who both greatly exceeded expectations as rookies.

In fact, there is reason to believe Cardwell could grow into a Robinson-type player with more development. So why pay Robinson in free agency? The Kings already have significantly limited cap space, and their interest in the Knicks' big man signals that they could be ready to move on from Sabonis.

Is Sabonis' future in jeopardy?

Dec 30, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

If the Kings are seriously looking to sign a center in free agency, that means that the Sabonis trade market could be heating up. The Kings were already expected to shop their star big man this summer, especially before he is owed $45.8 million next season and $48.6 million in 2027-28.

If there is a scenario where the Kings can trade Sabonis for cap relief and sign Robinson to a team-friendly deal, that is actually not a bad plan. However, signing Robinson to have a four-center rotation would be a disaster.

The fact that there are already rumors swirling about the Kings' interest in a free agent center suggests that Sabonis could have played his last game in a Sacramento uniform, although it does not guarantee anything. The Kings will likely have trouble shopping Sabonis on the trade market, making it likely that he simply returns to start the 2026-27 season.

Now, things could change ahead of next February's trade deadline, but as Sabonis comes off one of the worst seasons of his career due to injuries, the Kings are better off waiting until his value rises again.

Regardless, even if the Kings move on from Sabonis, there is reason to believe that Raynaud should be their next franchise center. If they can sign Robinson to a cheap deal to be a backup to Raynaud, then sure, but overall, this rumor does not make much sense unless the Kings have more in store.

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