The New York Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson in free agency this offseason, which majorly impacts the chances of them winning back-to-back championships. We know why he left; it was no surprise.
The move was due to financial reasons, as the owner of the Knicks, James Dolan, stated he won’t exceed the second apron for this upcoming season. After Robinson showed just how valuable he is, especially on their title run, it was clear he was going to be getting tons of interest from teams across the league. New York wasn’t willing to match those offers. This led to him signing with the division rival, Boston Celtics, on a three-year, $47 million deal.
Why would losing a player that averaged only 5.7 points per game make a team drastically worse? The things he provides on the court don’t always show up on the stat sheet, but one stat that shows it is his rebounding ability, specifically his offensive rebounding. He recorded an offensive rebounding percentage of 23.9% during the 2025–26 NBA regular season, leading all players averaging at least 18 minutes per game. In fact, he was so good in this category that he holds one of the highest career offensive rebounding percentages in NBA history, consistently grabbing over 20% of available missed shots while on the floor.
Robinson basically got at least one offensive rebound every four misses; that is insane to think about. He also provided elite rim protection for the Knicks with a block percentage of 8.8 and averaging 1.2 blocks per game. His seven-foot height, and wingspan of 7’4”, helped the Knicks throughout the playoffs and helped protect the rim against Victor Wembanyama in the Finals. New York posted a 40-20 record with him on the floor, which was good for a .667 winning percentage, while they went 13-9 without him and had a winning percentage of 59.1%. This team is much better with him playing, and the metrics would agree as well.
New York had an overall net rating of +7.2, a home net rating of +12.2, and a defensive rating of 113.5, all with Robinson, and a net rating of +4.7 without him. They were a better team with him on the floor, and they don’t win the 2026 NBA Championship without him.
The Knicks did end up signing Andre Drummond to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, who will try to replace what Robinson provided, but that’s a difficult task. He did average 8.4 rebounds per game, but the rim protection is not at Robinson’s level, as he averaged 0.7 blocks per game. He also only had a +0.4 net rating. Yes, it has to do with the team, and the Knicks were a better team, but it goes to show the importance he had on the roster. New York will still roll out with the same lineup that won them the championship, but their backup center position took a harsh turn.
Robinson provided the toughness and defensive presence needed to go the distance in the postseason, and the Knicks lost that. There are some negatives in his game, like his free-throw shooting, where he shot only 40.8% from the line, and he’s not going to drag out defenders with his spacing. He does play above the rim, as he’s an elite lob threat, and it shows in his field goal percentage, where he shot 72.3% from the floor. New York will surely feel the absence of Robinson, and it could show early in their play next season.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
