Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony revealed some frustrations within the organization regarding the oft-injured Robinson amid the rise of his backup Isaiah Hartenstein .
“I know the Knicks are upset because they couldn’t trade him before the trade deadline,” Joe Budden said on the “7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero” podcast on Feb. 22.
“That’s a fact,” Anthony quickly added, confirming Budden’s information about Robinson.
Anthony said the Knicks will have to make a tough decision in the offseason, choosing who to keep between Robinson and Hartenstein, who will become an unrestricted free agent.
“You have to pay for it,” Anthony said of Hartenstein. “You have to make a decision with Mitchell Robinson. “I mean, you have to pay [Hartenstein]. New York needs that energy. It’s worth it, because today you can’t find a nice center like that.
The 25-year-old Robinson is in the second year of a four-year, $60 million contract. Hartenstein could look at that kind of money in the offseason with teams that will have salary cap space like the Utah Jazz noting the marked improvement in him.
After playing all 72 regular season games in the COVID-19-long 2020-21 season, Robinson has already missed a total of 51 games and counting over the past two seasons.