On the back of some impactful performances by role players, the New York Knicks were able to end a 53-year-long title drought and lift the NBA trophy. However, even though Mitchell Robinson was among the most impactful players on the roster, his time in New York came to an end this summer.
After being the longest-tenured player on the Knicks roster, Mitchell Robinson surprisingly found himself signing a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Boston Celtics in the offseason. While speculation about his departure continues to grow, it is clear that Robinson remains unhappy about not re-signing with the Knicks.
This was most clearly seen in his recent Instagram story. Although Josh Hart jokingly took a shot at the Boston Celtics‘ welcome post for Robinson, the big man seemingly took offense to it, as he responded:
“F-ck off, @jhart. Y’all ain’t want me.”
Josh Hart‘s comment asking the admin of the Celtics’ official page to delete the post seems to be part of a series of jabs at Robinson. Earlier, when news about the big man’s new contract broke, Hart commented on it, stating:
“Bag well deserved, champ. You an opp now, though.”
At the time, these exchanges seemed like friendly banter between teammates. However, Mitchell Robinson’s reaction to this post and his frustrated response to others may suggest otherwise.
Mitchell Robinson’s Exit Continues To Raise Eyebrows
Mitchell Robinson’s departure from the Knicks was one of the more questionable moves of the offseason. Although his stats (5.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 0.9 SPG) didn’t necessarily position him as an elite contributor, it is safe to say that his value was only reflected in his performances.
Given the role he played in the big man rotation, it seemed sensible for the Knicks to invest in bringing him back. However, owner James Dolan’s reluctance to go into the second tax apron to retain key role players prevented New York from offering the big man a meaningful new contract.
While this explanation is simple enough, Mitchell Robinson implied that there was more to the story. During an exchange with OG Anunoby in the comments section of his Instagram post, Robinson hinted that the real reason why he could not return to the Knicks would hopefully come to light one day. Needless to say, this has paved the way for conspiracy theories.
The reality of the situation, however, doesn’t change. With Robinson heading over to the Boston Celtics, the big man now finds himself in a promising environment where he could potentially be a starter. Meanwhile, the Knicks have also made efforts to find a suitable replacement for Robinson by signing Andre Drummond out of free agency recently.
There is no real way of telling how this move will pan out for both parties. However, with the Celtics and the Knicks playing in the same division, the two are bound to face each other on multiple occasions throughout the season.
