The Brooklyn Nets came into this offseason looking to improve significantly following a 2025-26 NBA season in which they finished with a lowly 20-62 record that ultimately led to them getting the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Coming into this summer, Brooklyn was projected to be one of the teams with plenty of cap space and it looks like they could be using it strategically.
“The Nets have interest in trying to sign Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks, league sources tell The Stein Line,” NBA insider Marc Stein reported on X on Friday. The Nets essentially began the offseason by trading center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, leaving a hole at center that could be filled by New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson if they’re able to sign him in free-agency.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported on Thursday that he “heard it’s unlikely Mitchell Robinson will be back with Knicks next season,” before providing more insight into why it was unlikely for Robinson to go back to the Knicks. “He’s longest tenured Knick but also an unrestricted free agent. Owner James Dolan said he’s unwilling to pay into second apron so running it back with bench is not feasible.”
Robinson, 28, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 72.3% from the field and 40.8% from the free-throw line. Robinson spent the majority of the season coming off the bench as the backup to Karl-Anthony Towns, but with the Knicks hoping to bring Towns back, it seems like Robinson is the odd man out.
Robinson’s primary values to a team like the Nets is his rebounding and rim-protecting especially considering that he was fourth in the league in rebounds per minute (0.45) this past season. Time will tell how much it would cost for Brooklyn to sign Robinson away from the Knicks, but Spotrac’s Keith Smith projected that Robinson would command at least $15 million per year on his next deal.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets have interest in signing Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
