Lakers and Nets compete for Mitchell Robinson! Championship-winning center likely to leave Knicks, annual salary may exceed $15 million

On June 26 Beijing time, the Brooklyn Nets finalized a deal that sent Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, and the team is now desperate to find a center. As reported by insider Stein, they may only need to consider their crosstown rivals—the New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson will be a fully unrestricted free agent as of July 2 Beijing time. Knicks owner James Dolan has publicly stated that the team will do everything possible to avoid crossing the second luxury tax apron. Currently, the team has virtually no salary cap flexibility below that apron, meaning Robinson is likely not in the Knicks' retention plans.

The Nets aim to build a competitive roster for the upcoming season. However, Brooklyn does not control its own first-round pick—that pick belongs to the Houston Rockets.

The Los Angeles Lakers are also interested in signing Robinson. The Lakers are looking for a big man who excels at catching lobs for dunks and providing strong rim protection, to pair with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, who is nearing a contract extension.

This summer, both the Nets and the Lakers are expected to have cap space. Leveraging that flexibility, they can offer contracts that not only outbid the cap-restricted Knicks but also surpass what other teams can offer—other teams can only sign Robinson using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which has a maximum value of $15 million.

Robinson played 60 regular-season games this season, averaging 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, with a field-goal percentage of 72.3% and a free-throw percentage of 40.8%. In the playoffs, he averaged 4.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game, shooting 67.3% from the field and just 29.3% from the free-throw line.