Portland Trail Blazers’ sneaky trade target: Mitchell Robinson
I’m all the way in on this one Greg Swartz. Mitchell Robinson has had an up-and-down season thus far, further compounding the up-and-down career he’s had with the New York Knicks.
While Robinson has all of the tools to be an elite enforcer, he can’t seem to get out of his own head and dominate consistently.
Instead, he supplies the world with brain-melting highlights from the same game in which he over-commits trying to add a block to the box score, while allowing a wide-open dump-off for a dunk.
Still, I can’t help but be enticed by his freakish athleticism and natural instincts as a rim protector. I’ve bought a lot of stock in Mitchell Robinson and I have no plans on selling anytime soon. A change of scenery might just be the thing that he needs to fully realize his potential.
Aside from a 3-and-D big like Myles Turner — a rarity that cannot be understated — a player in Robinson’s mold is what the Trail Blazers should be looking for: an anchor who can be trusted to erase mistakes on the defensive end, who can also pose a lob threat for Damian Lillard in pick-and-rolls.
Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so trading for his expiring and acquiring his bird rights should be a low-cost move that might cash out big time.
I’m all in.