Mitchell Robinson’s Finals Creating Some Doubts About Knicks Future

A rough Finals for Mitchell Robinson will impact his offseason. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Following the Knicks' first loss of the Finals, taking a deeper look at their weaknesses is difficult to avoid. Now that the Spurs are in the win column, the threat they pose feels even larger, so it's important that anyone not playing up to their standards is either minimized or turns things around.

Unfortunately, one player in that category is Mitchell Robinson. The athletic center has had a muted impact on these Finals, which was on full display in Game 3.

Now, as Robinson takes the floor less while these contests take on more importance, it's raising some legitimate questions about his Knicks and free agent future.

Mitchell Robinson's poor NBA Finals could make Knicks, other teams think twice in free agency

Simply put, Robinson hasn't scratched the surface in terms of the impact he could have against San Antonio. The offensively challenged big man's meager 14 total points are actually more than his rebounds (13) so far, despite averaging way more of the latter (8.8 vs. 5.7) during the season.

Even worse, his defense has lagged on the big stage. He's recorded only one block, and his usually stout defensive rating has been over 112.9 in each contest. Game 3 was by far his worst showing there, logging a disastrous 137.5.

With only a little offense, less influence on the boards than expected, and poor defense, Robinson has become a pure negative on the court. In all, he's a staggering -27 in plus-minus this series, including -13 alone on Monday. That came in just seven minutes of play as well, showcasing how much the Spurs are exploiting him when he is on the court.

Playing in the Finals was a particularly huge opportunity for Robinson, given he's an unrestricted free agent for 2026-27 who could cash in, especially with a strong last series. But instead, he may be chasing away suitors and slashing his earning potential.

There are also possible internal effects for Robinson in New York. He is valued for the specific role he can fill, which complements Karl-Anthony Towns and provides an overall size advantage. Yet the Knicks are seeing Robinson at his worst, right on the cusp of possibly going into the second apron just to re-sign him this offseason.

Considering there are cheaper names they could target in free agency, as well as the fact they have three draft picks at their disposal, it's not like they're locked into bringing Robinson back. Looking at his measly 5.3 rpg and 5.2 ppg this playoffs, the vet hasn't forced their hand, either.

Robinson's lack of shooting is proving to be especially problematic for New York in these Finals. He's gone just 4-of-9 at the free throw line, which stings deeply when two of three contests have been decided by four points or fewer. San Antonio has made it clear it's going to lock in on him when the Knicks are in bonus, too, with little reason not to.

This leaves New York in an incredibly tricky spot rotation-wise, with Robinson basically being forced out of consideration. It makes Mike Brown either have to play KAT more than he'd like (such as Game 3, when Towns posted his second-most minutes of the playoffs) or explore less-proven and smaller bench options, even though Robinson is supposed to maintain the team's size advantage when Towns is off the floor.

Robinson failing at the specific job he's supposed to do as a tone-setter in the paint won't make the Knicks' front office thrilled to bring him back at an increased rate. Even if he comes cheaper as a direct result of underperforming, it's worth considering how valuable he is if he can't be utilized in bigger moments like the playoffs because of his FT struggles.

They could re-sign him for his sixth-man role in the regular season, but they'd then have a huge question mark in next year's playoffs. That requires having extra options on hand, which will take up roster resources in addition to the monetary aspect. A third-string job opportunity won't attract as many useful candidates, either, should Robinson remain.

This could pave the way for New York to consider a fresh face instead as Towns' best backup moving forward. While a Robinson breakup may sting given the journey he's had with this franchise, his weaknesses being exposed in such extreme fashion with a title on the line may be too big an issue to overcome.