The New York Knicks are currently battling the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA playoffs, but one key player is already on the Los Angeles Lakers' radar. Mitchell Robinson is a crucial piece of the Knicks' NBA Finals run.
And, according to NBA insider Mark Stein, the Lakers could potentially poach him this summer. Robinson is a terrific center, with him being a strong defensive player and elite offensive rebounder.
Even so, the Lakers wouldn't be wise to sign him. For one, he's making $15 million now and will likely be seeking a pay raise this offseason. That could mean that Robinson wants a contract starting around $20 million annually.
The Knicks could afford to bring him back using bird rights, making that a realistic starting point. Nevertheless, the Lakers shouldn't offer him anywhere near that amount.
The Lakers should steer clear of the Knicks' Mitchell Robinson
The problem with the Lakers signing Robinson is that they would likely be doing so with the intention of starting him. He simply can't be a full-time starter.
If they bought him in with the intention of playing him closer to 20 minutes, then that would be perfectly reasonable. However, Robinson may not be willing to move cross-country to play a bench role on a worse team.
It's also important to note that the Lakers may only have around $50 million in cap space. Using around $20 million on a player that should be coming off the bench doesn't make much sense.
The Lakers have better free agent options than Mitchell Robinson
Instead, they'd be wise to go after a starting center such as Jalen Duren or Walker Kessler in restricted free agency. At least that way, they would be getting a starting center with a better health track record than Robinson.
Pursuing Duren might force the Lakers to tie up more than half of their cap space for a couple of days. That would be a result of him being a restricted free agent, giving the Detroit Pistons 48 hours to match an offer.
However, if the Lakers offer around $40 million annually, that might force the Pistons to let him walk. The other option would be Kessler, who is also a restricted free agent.
He might cost around what the Lakers may end up having to pay Robinson annually. The big difference is that he is just 23 years old and has a better health track record.
At the very least, they can stick it to the Utah Jazz by throwing a big offer at him and forcing them to match. Or they could look at potential trade options such as Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford or even bring back Anthony Davis.
Frankly, any of those options would make more sense for the Lakers than Robinson, who seems to be in the perfect situation in New York.
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