Knicks Projected to Add Mitchell Robinson Insurance in 2026 NBA Draft
After spending decades chasing relevance, the New York Knicks finally broke through, winning the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
The Knicks ended their title drought with a 94-90 Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night in Frost Bank Center. Jalen Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP after a legendary closeout performance, scoring 45 points in Game 5, and averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals across all five games.
For many years, one of New York’s most valuable role players has been Mitchell Robinson, who, after eight years with the franchise, finally got his ring. After battling through injuries and delivering key moments throughout the series, he’s now cemented his place in Knicks history.
However, there’s some uncertainty about how much longer he’ll actually be in New York. Mitchell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Knicks are already staring down one of the NBA’s highest payrolls after building a championship core around Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. With nearly $200 million tied up in those five players alone, re-signing key free agents like Robinson becomes far more difficult.
This is where the 2026 NBA draft comes in.
The Knicks re-signing Robinson is still on the table, but a much cheaper option would be to find his replacement in the draft. So, with New York’s long-term future at center unknown, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo believes that New York could be the perfect landing spot for North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar at No. 24 overall.
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A 7-foot, 225-pound center from Tallinn, Estonia, Veesaar is coming off a breakout season at UNC, where he averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game, shooting 60.8% from the field and 42.6% from deep.
Veesaar brings a different style than Robinson, who is more of a traditional center whose job is to rebound, protect the rim, and finish plays around the basket. Veesaar can still do all of that, but his biggest value comes from his ability to stretch the floor and space defenses with his shooting.
That combination is why scouts view him as a potential "plug-and-play" rotation big for a contender like New York, especially one looking for low-cost solutions around an expensive core.
If Robinson leaves in free agency or seeks a larger role and contract, Veesaar becomes valuable insurance. And even if Robinson stays, the pairing of Robinson's defense with Veesaar's shooting and secondary playmaking could give the Knicks a versatile two-big rotation that would create a matchup nightmare for other teams.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 1:23 PM.