Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony confirmed Joe Budden’s statement on the Feb. 22 “7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero” podcast that the Knicks were upset they couldn’t trade Robinson because of his injury.
“That’s a fact,” Anthony said.
Anthony then added that the Knicks will have a difficult decision to make in the offseason, choosing who to keep between Robinson and Hartenstein.
“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.
Robinson, who turns 26 on April 1, is in the second year of a four-year, $60 million contract . Hartenstein is expected to become one of the most sought-after centers in free agency alongside Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and New Orleans’ Jonas Valanciunas.