On Saturday, the Knicks hosted the Suns. It was their second meeting vs. Phoenix in eight days. New York lost 112-107 on Friday, January 9.
It’s been a rough stretch as of late for Mike Brown and the Knicks. They lost 106-99 to Phoenix on Saturday and are now 25-17 this season. Over their last 10 games, the Knicks are 2-8. Recently, backup center Mitchell Robinson went to social media and voiced his frustrations. In an exchange with a fan online, Robinson took a subtle shot at the coaching staff for how they are using him at the end of games.
Mitchell Robinson is frustrated with his role on the Knicks in 2025-26
Mitchell Robinson has an interesting exchange with a fan on Facebook pic.twitter.com/4TWPWXdqkJ
— Poppa Left (@_the6thman) January 18, 2026
With a second-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Knicks selected Mitchell Robinson out of Texas. The 27-year-old has spent eight seasons in New York. He’s appeared in 366 games and made 212 starts. After a loss to the Pacers in the 2025 playoffs, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. His specialty was defense, and he had the Knicks in tune on that end of the floor. The same cannot be said for the 2025-26 Knicks under head coach Mike Brown.
Roughly halfway through the season, the Knicks are 29th of 30 NBA teams in defensive rating. New York has struggled massively on that end of the floor. Recently, veteran big man Mitchell Robinson went to social media and voiced his frustrations. On Sunday, Robinson went back and forth with some fans on the internet. He explained his frustrations with his current role on the Knicks.
Mitchell Robinson on IG: pic.twitter.com/1QQEIBNQBT
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 18, 2026
Robinson said his job is to “defend and rebound” and that the team will not let him do anything else. This was a subtle shot at head coach Mike Brown and the coaching staff. Mitchell Robinson believes he could be helping the team late in the game and anchor the defense. However, the coaches continue to play Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been struggling massively in New York’s 2-8 stretch.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Mitchell Robinson signed a four-year, $60 million extension. Robinson is already in the final year of that deal and will be an unrestricted free agent after 2025-26. With the role he currently plays for New York, it’s difficult to see the team offering Robinson another extension.
Could the Knicks find a trade partner for Robinson ahead of the deadline on February 5? That could be difficult as players like Mitchell Robinson are becoming extinct in the NBA. Being able to shoot and floor-space as a center is part of the modern NBA. What does the future hold for the 27-year-old?
