The New York Knicks face a serious dilemma with their 7-foot center Mitchell Robinson as the 2025-26 regular season approaches, with concerns mounting about his durability despite his proven impact on the court. Robinson’s health situation has emerged as one of the team’s most pressing concerns heading into opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 22.

NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor immediately highlighted the core concern, stating, “I’d still I worry about the Mitchell Robinson health aspect. How durable can he be with how good that two big uh, rotation was last season when they rolled those two guys out there together? Uh, that’s where I’d go for the Knicks.” This sentiment echoes within the organization, as the Knicks have already begun managing Robinson’s workload in practices and preseason games.

Robinson’s injury history is well-documented, having played only 48 total games over the past two seasons. An ankle injury requiring surgery sidelined him for the first 58 games of the last regular season. The team now plans to limit his minutes throughout the year and will sit him out of certain games for precautionary reasons. This strategy aims to ensure he is available for a potential playoff push, where his impact was felt deeply during the last postseason.

SNY’s Ian Begley reports that the Knicks have implemented a season-long load management strategy for Robinson to preserve his health and ensure playoff readiness. He missed practice sessions and the October 17 preseason finale as part of this precautionary approach.

Contract negotiations have also been affected by these durability questions. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that extension talks with Robinson have seen little traction. Robinson is in the final year of his contract, earning $13 million this season. The Knicks are hesitant to commit long-term without evidence he can maintain his health.

The team is also operating near the second tax apron, having extended Mikal Bridges on a four-year, $150 million deal that leaves them only a few million dollars short of the threshold. This has added financial pressure to the front office’s decisions and reduced flexibility for future signings.

When on the court, Robinson is a defensive anchor and elite offensive rebounder. His partnership with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt showed promise during the preseason. The Knicks’ ability to manage his availability could define their season, as a healthy Robinson significantly boosts their championship aspirations.

The organization hopes this careful management will pay off when it matters most. However, Mitchell Robinson is not the only problem for the Knicks right now.

Mike Brown’s biggest problem

Kevin O’Connor asked Marks a ‘fill in the blanks’ question about what he saw as the team’s most glaring weakness. When O’Connor posed the question “the biggest hole on the Knicks is blank,” Marks had a clear answer that highlighted just how much Brogdon’s sudden retirement hurt the team, especially given their weakness in backcourt depth-

“I mean, Malcolm Brogden retires. you thought you saw had some guard depth with um with him. I think it’s a you know I want to say another wing off the bench. Um and that probably is the case if Hart starts, Robinson comes off the bench and now you’ve got a little bit of a hole there. Um but I do think I do think some shooting off the bench. Um are you going to get that if you keep Landrew Sham? Um, but I think bench scoring, um, scoring off the bench,” Marks explained.

The comment from Marks points to multiple concerns swirling around the Knicks roster just days before the regular season opener on October 22. Brogdon’s retirement created an immediate void in the backcourt depth that New York desperately needed.

The veteran guard signed a one-year deal with the Knicks back in September after spending time with the Washington Wizards last season.

Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed the Brogdon signing on September 12, noting that the former Sixth Man of the Year was entering his 10th NBA season. Charania reported that Brogdon would give the Knicks key backcourt depth and reserve playmaking, with an expected rotation role under Brown.

The deal looked like a smart veteran minimum signing that addressed a real need without costing the team much money or flexibility.

The plan fell apart on October 15 when Brogdon announced he would retire from the NBA immediately at 32 years old. The timing created major problems for the Knicks, who now had just days to figure out their backcourt rotation before opening night.

Since Brogdon signed a non-guaranteed minimum deal, the team can fill his roster spot, but finding quality replacements this close to the season presents a real challenge.