New York Knicks: Mitchell Robinson raises potential trade value

New York Knicks young big man Mitchell Robinson earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team. He may also be on the trading block.

A coveted NBA All-Rookie Team spot is a goal for many young players in the league. Center Mitchell Robinson‘s incredible rookie season for the New York Knicks was rewarded Tuesday with the honor, edging out teammates Kevin Knox and Alonzo Trier for one of the ten spots.

Robinson averaged 7.3 points in 20 minutes per game while leading all NBA rookies in field goal percentage (69.4%) and blocks per contest (2.4). He finished second to Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner in blocks per game setting a new Knicks rookie record for most blocks in a season with 161, surpassing Kristaps Porzingis’ 134 blocks, four seasons ago.

The efficiency and weekly improvements from Robinson were the highlights of an otherwise dismal 17-win Knicks season. New York took a chance on Robinson during last season’s draft taking him 36th overall after missing a full year of college basketball. His athleticism and intensity caught the eyes of Knicks general manager Scott Perry enticing him to roll the dice.

A surprising turning point for Robinson this season was the acquisition of veteran center DeAndre Jordan via trade from the Dallas Mavericks. Jordan, who is a former defensive player of the year in his own right, took pride in mentoring the rookie based on their similar playing styles. In an interview back in February, Jordan explained his early impression of the young New York Knicks star.

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"“He’s a great guy. He’s young. He’s just starting to realize his body type and how athletic he really is, and the things that he can do on the floor. We just gotta get him talking a little bit, and out of that 19-year-old, shy phase.”“He’s obviously extremely young, He’s extremely athletic. He wants to learn. He has to get a routine and some more work here with these guys. Our job is to just kind of police him, take him under our wing. But with a guy like that who wants to learn, you wanna help.”"

The added hype now surrounding Robinson will lead many critics to wonder if he will be the key piece in a trade to land all-star, and one of the best players currently in the NBA, Anthony Davis from New Orleans. The “Blockness Monster” still has plenty of untapped potential. He would be a great addition to any trade package the New York front office wants to offer in the next few weeks.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1096237241662345216

Robinson is a Louisiana native. He would probably fully embrace a chance to go play back home in front of his friends and family on a regular basis. The Knicks hold a pretty good hand and need to assess if it’s worth losing a possible perennial all-star center?