10 Trade Targets Knicks Can Explore to Replace Mitchell Robinson

As the days go on, it's looking more and more like Mitchell Robinson will be taking his talents elsewhere in free agency. The longest tenured Knick is an unrestricted free agent, and the New York Knicks are walking a tightrope while trying to duck the second apron.

The eight-year veteran departing would leave a sizeable hole up front, and Leon Rose is seemingly scrambling for a low-cost option to replace Robinson. The free-agent market is thin, so perhaps Rose will look to acquire a cheaper and team-controlled center through a trade.

The Knicks can dangle draft capital, Deuce McBride's expiring $3.9 million deal for the 2026-27 season, Pacome Dadiet's $2.9 million salary, and youngster Tyler Kolek, who has two years left on his deal and will make $2.3 million this upcoming season.

With all that being said, here are 10 centers the Knicks should look to acquire possibly fill Robinson's void in the frontcourt.

Yves Missi

I mentioned Missi as a target earlier in the week, and the Knicks were rumored to be interested in the 25-year-old big man at the trade deadline. He is under contract next year for a friendly number of $3.5 million with a $5.6 million team option for 2027-28.

This season with the Pelicans, the former first-round pick averaged 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 19.7 minutes (66 games/14 starts). His production dipped because of the emergence of rookie Derik Queen and Karlo Matkovic.

It is a stark contrast to what he did as a rookie in 2024-25, where Missi averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game (73 games/67 starts). Nonetheless, Missi still has a ton of upside and could step in immediately in Robinson's role.

Goga Bitadze

Theoretically, the Knicks can move McBride and Dadiet for Goga Bitadze, who will make $7,608,696 and is a player New York has shown interest in the past. A move like that would leave Rose with $13,240,618 to work with under the second apron. It would also provide enough breathing room for the team to re-sign Landry Shamet.

This season with the Magic, Bitadze served in a backup role, starting only three games (played in 64). But the veteran big man still averaged 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 15.2 minutes per game. In his first two years in Orlando, Bitadze showed he can step into the starting lineup, starting in 33 and 42 games, respectively.

Moussa Diabate

The Frenchman played a huge role for the upstart Hornets this past year. Diabate averaged a career-best 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 26 minutes per game.

He has one year left on his deal at $2.4 million, and it's hard to see why Charlotte would part ways with him. They did, however, draft center Hannes Steinbach 14th overall earlier in the week. Diabate is an athletic big man who can run the floor and play above the rim, making him a perfect replacement for Robinson.

Ryan Kalkbrenner

The Hornets are without a point guard following the LaMelo Ball trade, and a Kolek for Kalkbrenner swap works despite the Knicks taking on a few extra dollars. The 7-foot-1 big man was a second- round pick last summer and showed promise as a rookie.

The former Creighton star averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. Kalkbrenner also possessed a 112 DRtg (defensive rating), which shows the promise he has on that end of the floor. Therefore, if Diabate is off the table, Kalkbrenner might not be.

Clint Capela

The 31-year-old veteran is under contract for two more years. He’ll be making $7 million this upcoming season, and the Rockets have a bit of a logjam at center with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.

If the Knicks were to move McBride plus Dadiet for Capela, it would work financially. Capela saw his production drop off this past season with the Rockets from the 2024-25 season with the Hawks (8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game), as he recorded 3.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

However, he still is a presence on the defensive end, logging a 108 DRtg (defensive rating) with the Rockets.

Deandre Ayton

Ayton has an $8 million player option that he’s likely to opt into in the coming days, much to the Lakers' chagrin. The much-maligned former number 1 overall pick has plenty of warts, but is relatively affordable, and the Knicks kicked the tires on him last summer, per SNY’s Ian Begley.

If the Lakers' interest in Robinson is legitimate, there is a world where the Knicks could get Ayton and draft compensation from the Lakers in a sign-and-trade.

Day’ron Sharpe

With the Nets offloading Nic Claxton, Sharpe appears set to step into the starter’s role in Brooklyn. He is a darling among the analytics community and has a team-friendly $6.2 million team option. But it’s hard to see Leon Rose making a deal with Sean Marks anytime soon.

Dylan Cardwell

The undrafted big man became a fan favorite for the Kings during his rookie campaign. Cardwell averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game (44 games/1 start). He’s under control for three more years at a minuscule number. It’s hard to see Sacramento parting with him, but it's worth giving old friend Scott Perry a call.

Jericho Sims

The one time Knicks opted into his $2.8 million player option for next season. The Bucks are in rebuild mode post the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and will be giving big minutes to Kel’el Ware.

If the Knicks were to trade Dadiet for Sims straight up, it would work. As Knicks fans already know, Sims can play above the rim and showed in Milwaukee that he can play an impactful role off the bench. He averaged a career-high 19.9 minutes per game, while dropping in 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Kyle Filipowski

The two-year pro just made headlines for giving top pick Darryn Peterson his number 22. He's likely not up for grabs, but as Utah plans for contention and re-signing big man Walker Kessler, perhaps Danny Ainge could be convinced to part with the 22-year-old.

Filipowski would provide more offensive versatility than Robinson as he can step out on the perimeter and knockdown shots. This past season with the Jazz, the former Duke big man scored 11.4 points per game on 49.2% shooting from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc (three attempts per game).

He will also make an impact on the glass, averaging 7.2 rebounds per game this past season, which includes a 25.1% defensive rebounding percentage.

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