Knicks Lose Center Target to Kings

The New York Knicks are seeing the center market continue to dry up.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 24, 2024

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets center Orlando Robinson (59) controls the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

Another potential New York Knicks signee has chosen to go elsewhere.

According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, third-year big man Orlando Robinson is leaving Florida to the west coast to join the Sacramento Kings.

Robinson, who just turned 24, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, playing in 67 games for the franchise across two seasons as a player on a two-way contract.

Robinson never cracked Miami's 15-man roster and was waived on July 7. However, he still earned him a spot with the Houston Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League. In Sin City, Robinson proved that he belonged in the NBA by averaging 14.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest for the Rockets. That has helped him land his first spot on a 15-man NBA roster.

Robinson signing with the Kings means that's one less center that the Knicks could sign if they were to add another backup big man. The Knicks have still yet to sign any centers after the team lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder on a three-year, $87 million deal.

New York has Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims currently on the roster expected to lead the center rotation, but the Knicks should look to add more if they want to be taken seriously as a contender in the Eastern Conference and NBA. The Knicks also have two-way player and No. 58 overall pick Ariel Hukporti, but he is expected to spend most of his rookie year with the G League team in Westchester.

While the Knicks didn't sign Robinson, they may be able to still sign Precious Achiuwa, the former New York big man who still remains unsigned nearly a month after the start of free agency.

Time isn't rushing, but moves like this show that it is still ticking.

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Published Jul 24, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.