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What an up-and-down season it\u2019s been for the Chicago Bulls\u2014and not the usual kind. They opened hot before cooling off dramatically, enduring two separate five-game skids. In truth, it\u2019s felt less like a roller coaster and more like one sharp climb followed by an equally sharp drop.<\/p>\n
If it wasn\u2019t obvious in the offseason, it should be now: the Bulls need to begin a roster overhaul. There\u2019s no single fix for this team. Chicago\u2019s offense is middling, its defense is among the league\u2019s worst, and with the February trade deadline approaching, the front office should be focused on identifying which players are worth keeping long-term.<\/p>\n
Conversely, as they sort out which of their own players are worth keeping, the Bulls must also survey the rest of the league to find potential difference-makers, players who can help both in the present and in the future.<\/p>\n
Rather than chasing a splashy move like trading for Anthony Davis, a move that would strip away depth and mortgage the future, the Bulls should prioritize smaller, smarter deals, protect their picks, and embrace the reality of a bottom-tier reset.<\/p>\n
After highlighting defensive ace Jonathan Isaac last week as an attainable target who has fallen out of favor with his current team, there\u2019s another player who fits the same mold\u2014a strong defender whose role is no longer as secure as it once was. That player is New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson.<\/p>\n
The Knicks\u2019 situation couldn\u2019t be more different from that of the Bulls. New York is 14\u20137, sitting third in the Eastern Conference, and has won seven of its last ten. But that\u2019s also the reality of the Knicks\u2019 window. Every New York starter is between 28 and 30 years old, and the roster is built to win right now, especially considering it\u2019s one of the most expensive groups in the league.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the Knicks\u2019 core five are all under contract beyond this season, meaning some cost-cutting moves will eventually be necessary. As you can probably see where this is headed, Robinson could become a casualty of that financial squeeze. The 7-foot center isn\u2019t signed past this year, and with his next deal likely to land in the mid-teens annually, he may be too expensive for New York to bring back.<\/p>\n
Robinson is averaging just 17.2 minutes per game this season and was recently moved into a reserve role. Since shifting to the bench, his playing time has stayed about the same, but his usage has dipped, and the Knicks have actually performed better with Josh Hart in the starting lineup, going 4\u20131 over their last five games.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not as if Robinson was ever truly indispensable as a starter in New York. Sure, the roster includes five-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns at center, but beyond that, the Knicks boast strong rebounding stats, a top-15 defensive rating, and allow the fifth-fewest points in the paint per game. While Robinson undoubtedly contributes to those strengths, he may not be essential. His on\/off splits don\u2019t impress. In fact, the team\u2019s defense has been statistically better with him off the floor.<\/p>\n
Given all of the above, Robinson could be on his way out, and it might not require waiting until the offseason. The Knicks would almost certainly prefer to get something in return rather than risk losing him for nothing. If that\u2019s the case, Chicago\u2019s odds of acquiring him aren\u2019t necessarily high, and the cost itself wouldn\u2019t be steep; it likely wouldn\u2019t take much to pry the 27-year-old from New York.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s even a chance the Knicks could trade Robinson straight up for Jalen Smith. At $9 million, Smith would save New York roughly $4 million, and is signed for an additional season beyond this one. Perhaps more importantly, he offers some of what Towns provides as a floor spacer, meaning the Knicks\u2019 offensive philosophy wouldn\u2019t need to change with Smith on the floor\u2014unlike with Robinson, who is essentially a non-offensive threat.<\/p>\n
While Robinson\u2019s offensive limitations might give some teams pause, they shouldn\u2019t concern the Bulls. Chicago needs a rim-running big, someone who can catch lobs on offense and protect the paint on defense. Robinson\u2019s uneven role in New York\u2019s rotation should have the Bulls salivating at the chance to make a low-cost addition that addresses their biggest need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mitchell Robinson\u2019s uneven role in New York makes him a perfect low-cost, rim-running big for the Bulls, boosting defense and finishing at the rim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":125072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n