Yves Missi does not belong in the Knicks' free-agency calculation. Mitchell Robinson does, and the Knicks may have to find a replacement if he leaves when NBA free agency opens Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson are also among the free agents the Knicks may have trouble keeping. If those players move on, the Knicks would have to fill both roster spots and key rotation minutes fast.
Mitchell Robinson and the Knicks
The immediate problem is not abstract. Mitchell Robinson is one of the Knicks' own free agents, and the team may need a lower-cost replacement if it cannot keep him. That is a harder search than replacing a fringe name, because the Knicks would be trying to preserve size and rotation stability at the same time.
Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson widen that risk. The Knicks are not dealing with one isolated decision; they are facing the possibility that several players near the same part of the roster could leave at once, which would force the front office to sort out both the bench and the depth chart before the market settles.
Nick Richards in NBA free agency
Nick Richards is one of the other names on the market. He played regularly after joining the Bulls in a trade deadline deal, and in 2023-24 with Charlotte he ranked 13th in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage and 20th in the NBA in blocked shot percentage.
The Pelicans reportedly are going to decline his team option, which would make him a free agent. For a team trying to replace lost minutes without spending at the top of the market, that combination of recent playing time and measurable production is the kind of profile that will draw attention quickly when the market opens.
Rotation choices at 6 p.m.
Duren was expected to be in line for a max contract before the postseason, but this summer now includes negotiating a less-than-max deal, searching for an offer elsewhere, or finding a sign-and-trade partner. Harris was one of the few Pistons who performed at or above expectations in the playoffs, and he will turn 34 in July.
Powell made his first Star Game appearance this season and averaged 21.7 points per game. The 30-year-old played only 32 games this past season between Atlanta and Golden State, averaged 16.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, and played only five games before surgery to repair a torn labrum. Utah has the ability to match an offer for him.
For the Knicks, the practical question starts Tuesday at 6 p.m.: whether Mitchell Robinson stays, and if not, whether the Knicks can replace his role without paying for the same type of player. That is the decision point that will shape the rest of their free-agency work.
