Just 24 hours ago, the Lakers’ frontcourt outlook looked bleak. The Isaiah Stewart trade to Memphis had thinned an already shallow pool of available bigs, and few expected the newly crowned champions in New York to loosen their grip on key reserves. But the landscape has shifted- and Rob Pelinka appears ready to capitalize. The Lakers have now zeroed in on Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, according to recent reports, a player long considered untouchable by New York brass.

“Mentioned Robinson as the center who’s been getting the most Lakers buzz earlier on the show today,” Anthony F. Irwin noted on X. “Doesn’t mean it’s definitely happening, but it’s something a lot of people are talking about.”

The Lakers have extensively searched for an elite, bruising rim protector who can double as a vertical lob threat in a Luka Doncic-centric lineup. Mitchell Robinson was considered a good fit to make up for the Lakers’ rotational deficiency.

However, it was more of a fantasy trade idea. No one thought an opportunity actually to get him would suddenly open up after the 2026 NBA Finals.

Only recently, Jovan Buha, the prominent Lakers insider, said he doesn’t see where the franchise can get their “mythical” center after squandering chances with Isaiah Stewart.

He also didn’t expect Robinson to hit the market. But as the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade proved, things can change overnight in the trade scene.

Knicks’ financial crunch could send Mitchell Robinson to Lakers

After the Knicks signed him in 2018, Mitchell Robinson might be hitting free agency with the strong possibility of leaving the team he just won a championship for. The sudden availability of New York’s longest-tenured player stems entirely from the harsh financial realities of the NBA business.

Veteran Knicks reporter Stefan Bondy dropped a major bombshell on the big man’s future, stating:

“Heard it’s unlikely Mitchell Robinson will be back with Knicks next season.”

The interest is not new. Lakers had previously been identified as one of several center-needy teams expected to pursue Robinson in free agency, alongside the Bulls, Hornets, and Raptors. What has changed is Robinson’s availability.

This comes right after the team’s owner, James Dolan, explicitly stated he won’t be going into the second apron to keep the championship core intact. Despite Robinson being a key to the franchise’s identity, he enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Re-signing him could be financially unfeasible for the reigning champions to run it back with their current expensive bench unit.

The Knicks have no realistic path to retaining both Robinson and Shamet while staying below the second apron and with Dolan drawing a firm line on luxury tax spending, the reigning champions may be forced to let their longest-tenured big man walk. That financial bind is Pelinka’s opening.

At seven feet tall, Robinson is a premier defensive disruptor who proved his toughness on the sport’s biggest stage. He returned just days after surgery on a broken right pinkie finger to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, wearing a brace as he went head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama – the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in league history.

His career has been shadowed by injury concerns, but the typical recovery from that kind of surgery runs about a month- Robinson beat that timeline to compete on a championship stage.

With the Knicks’ hands effectively tied by luxury tax constraints, the Lakers now have a clear runway to land a center with a championship pedigree.