The Phoenix Suns traded a pair of first round picks for Mark Williams last offseason, and it was a move that has not entirely worked out.
The 24-year-old Charlotte Hornet might have just turned in a career year, but the bar was low because of injuries and he he has been forced to sit out of their brief playoff run.
Mitchell Robinson would have been better center solution
Which is why backup big Robinson of the New York Knicks would have been the better player to go and get for a variety of reasons.
Beginning with the obvious and despite his own injury history he played 60 games during the regular season and is still only 28-years-old.
The Knicks really load managed Mitchell Robinson all season just to not use him in a series where you need him the most. Can't make this up. https://t.co/aqkjaAfV0V
— The Knicks Recap (@TheKnicksRecap) April 25, 2026
He is also in the final year of his own current deal, although you have to think that he won't even command the kind of salary that Williams will be looking for with his first proper extension.
Robinson signed a four-year, $60 million deal to stay in New York that began in 2022-23 and decreased in value each year. It is hard to see Williams agreeing to the same.
The Knicks are also a franchise that are looking for that one move to take them over the top, while also boasting one of the most expensive starting fives in the league.
The opportunity last offseason to land a pair of firsts for Robinson and not have to think about paying him again would have been nice. So too would a player like Grayson Allen, who may be on the move this summer anyway.
In terms of what Robinson would bring to the Suns, there are some similarities with both Williams and rookie big man Khaman Maluach.
His free-throw woes have been well documented, but he also would have been the perfect center for this series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Suns have missed the size of Williams, and Robinson has brought just that as the Knicks struggle to hang with the Atlanta Hawks in their own Round 1 matchup.
Is this a perfect solution? Far from it, but Robinson at least comes with less question marks (and admittedly upside) than Williams.
He is also not suited for certain opponents, but the same is true of Williams and the availability of Robinson means at least that would be a decision for head coach Jordan Ott to make.
Rather than the Suns feel they have to back Williams after what they gave up to get him, Robinson could have been a lower risk move that ended up giving them the same reward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google