Saturday, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line published a report (subscription required) that shared peer NBA team sentiment perceiving the Chicago Bulls as likely suitors for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Whether the league sentiment turns into real free agency motion between the Bulls and Robinson’s representation remains to be seen.
"Teams regularly relayed to me when I've asked around about Robinson's status have pointed to the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers and Raptors. Those are all clubs known to be looking for center upgrades."Jake Fischer
The surface rationale for connecting Robinson to the Bulls is logical. As Fischer mentioned in his report, there is a sizable dearth of centers on the Bulls roster, and in some fashion, those roster voids need to be resolved during the 2026 NBA offseason. Digging deeper beneath the surface, is Mitchell Robinson the right center for the genesis of the Bulls' rebuild?
The pros and cons of Mitchell Robinson
In an eight-year career that is currently at the top of the NBA mountain as Robinson and his Knicks sit with a 2-0 series lead in the 2026 NBA Finals, there are clear benefits to having Mitchell Robinson on an NBA roster.
For the last five NBA seasons, Robinson has been a league-elite offensive rebounder, leading the league in offensive rebounds (ORB) for the 2022-23 NBA regular season with 4.5 ORBs per game, according to Basketball Reference.
Robinson’s rim protection is also well-regarded, as he holds a career average of 1.7 blocks per game, according to Basketball Reference.
However, the concerning factors that have to be weighed in a decision to sign Robinson as a free agent start with his game availability. The Knicks have managed this issue largely by relegating him to a backup center role with the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns. Robinson has appeared in 65 or more NBA regular-season games only twice in his eight NBA seasons.
If the Bulls sign Robinson as a free agent, are they signing Robinson the starter or Robinson the backup? Robinson is projected to enter the 2026 NBA offseason with a $24.6 million cap hold after earning $12.9 million in the final season of his four-year $60 million contract with the Knicks.
The Bulls' finding an ideal combination of salary and workload for Robinson could be tricky, as there isn’t an All-NBA center that can easily slot in front of Robinson in the Bulls’ depth chart.
What are the 2026 free agency alternatives to Mitchell Robinson?
In general, it would make the most financial sense for the Bulls to outright avoid signing centers in free agency.
The 2026 unrestricted free agency class for centers is headlined by top-heavy salary players like familiar face Nikola Vucevic or bargain bin centers with minimal effect, such as Jaxson Hayes.
If the Bulls must sign a center via unrestricted free agency this summer, they should consider an equally familiar face, Andre Drummond, who will enter 2026 unrestricted free agency at a modest $6.5 million cap hold.
Add us as a preferred source on Google