New York Knicks Receive: F/C Christian Wood, G Eric Gordon

Houston Rockets Receive: C Mitchell Robinson (S&T), G Kemba Walker, G/F Cam Reddish

Mitchell Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so to get something in return for him, the New York Knicks will have to find a way to sign and then trade him to one of his preferred destinations to nab a package in exchange.

This deal gives New York a surprisingly decent return for a center who could otherwise just walk away in free agency. Perhaps most intriguing of all for the Knicks is that Christian Wood is a stretch-five, which is the opposite of what Robinson offers.

To make this deal work, the Houston Rockets would have to be willing to sign Mitchell Robinson to a new deal that when combined with Kemba Walker and Cam Reddish’s figures fits into the salary that they’re sending out in the trade

Christian Wood and Eric Gordon are slated to make a combined $35 million in 2022-2023 as opposed to Walker and Reddish’s $15 million, so the Rockets would have to be comfortable paying Robinson around $20 million per year to make this deal work financially.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks Could Use NBA Draft For Mitchell Robinson’s Replacement

It remains to be seen how much Robinson will earn in free agency. It’s likely he will receive a deal that pays at least $12 million per season given the demand for rim protection that exists. There’s been speculation about projections from NBA experts coupled with sign-and-trade speculation, but still, it remains to be seen.

Let’s look at the case for this NBA trade scenario from the perspectives of the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.