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By Alex Kirschenbaum
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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A big part of the reason the New York Knicks so aggressively pursued a trade for pricey four-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns late into the offseason has now come into clearer focus.
Read more: More Details Emerge on Why Knicks Made Blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns Trade
Oft-injured Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, still recuperating from a pair of ankle surgeries, is slated to at least the rest of 2024 and return to action at some point in January, new ESPN reporter Shams Charania revealed while on "First Take" opposite Stephen A. Smith.
Read More on NBA
It had previously been reported that Robinson could be back as soon as December.
Read more: Knicks Star Not Expected to Be Ready For Start of Regular Season
"They needed a five, and a lot of that is because Mitchell Robinson — Stephen I don't want to break your heart so early, but I'm told that he will be out the remainder of this calendar year, 2024. He will make his season debut in January," Charania said. "He had two ankle surgeries last season. It is imperative for the Knicks, for Mitchell Robinson, for him to come back in peak form."
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"They're hopeful he's gonna be back," Charania continued. "Tom Thibodeau loves Mitchell Robinson defensively, Stephen. Having him at the five, Karl-Anthony Towns at four is something, that's something you should be focused on [seeing this season]."
The 7-foot big man has been only sporadically available for many of his seasons in New York. The Western Kentucky product has missed 51 games in two of his last four seasons due to major ailments, and 23 contests in 2022-23.
When healthy last year, Robinson started 21 of his 31 available bouts, averaging 5.6 points on 575. percent shooting from the field and a miserable 40.9 percent shooting from the foul line, along with 8.5 boards, 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 0.6 dimes per bout.
With Towns and back-up big man Precious Achiuwa rostered and Robinson out for a good long while, it makes sense that New York has been apparently looking to offload the frequently-hurt defense-first big man in a potential trade. Deep-bench center Jericho Sims could also spot Towns to start the year.
Read more: Knicks 'Taking Calls' for Possible Trade of Longtime Veteran
The starting center for the 2023-24 Knicks, Isaiah Hartenstein, departed in free agency for the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer on a three-year, $87 million deal. Last year's Knicks finished with a 50-32 record and the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed but fell in a seven-game second-round playoff series to the Indiana Pacers as various Knicks players succumbed to injuries.
As Charania notes on ESPN, Robinson had an ankle surgery in December, then incurred another ankle/foot injury during the team's first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson eventually had to sit for that the final six contests of New York's second round series against Indiana.
For more Knicks updates, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
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