The Knicks' top center won't be ready for the start of the season.
Mitchell Robinson has not yet fully recovered from foot surgery in May and is targeting a return date of December or January, a league source confirmed Monday.
Sources said the Knicks are careful not to rush Robinson's return until he's 100 percent healthy, and a longer absence could be on the cards depending on how the 26-year-old recovers.
Robinson suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle, underwent surgery in December and missed 50 straight games last season.
The injury-prone center returned for the playoffs, but was injured again in a fiery battle with Joel Embiid in the season opener.
Robinson's extended recovery leaves a big hole on the team after Isaiah Hartenstein left for the Thunder in free agency.
The Knicks are exploring the trade market to acquire a center, but league sources said the team is currently taking a stance that it is confident in its depth and versatility.
Behind Robinson in the depth list are the athletic but unproven Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa, who has said he prefers playing power forward.
The Knicks could also play small ball with Julius Randle under center, coach Tom Thibodeau suggested in a recent interview with NBA.com.
“probably, [center] “By committee,” Thibodeau said, “we'll look at some different things because of versatility. We could see Julius at the 5 more. I don't want to do that for an extended period of time. It would be a strain, but if we give him 10 or 15 minutes, I think he'll do well. He'll also create a lot of opportunities.” [offensive] “advantage”
Robinson has had multiple surgeries over the past four years and has missed at least 23 games in three of the past four seasons.
