5 players New York Knicks can sign as Mitchell Robinson shockingly gets ruled out of 2023-24 NBA season

New York Knicks big Mitchell Robinson is ruled out of the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season. The team has applied to the league for a disabled player exception for $7.8 million on Wednesday and will now look for options on the market as the trade window opens up. Robinson injured his left ankle in the Knicks' loss to the Boston Celtics. While he played the game briefly in the second half, he didn't take the floor in the fourth quarter. Last week, it was reported that he had undergone an ankle surgery that would sideline him for eight to ten weeks. However, recent updates suggest that NY believes that the center will be out for the rest of the season.

The Knicks have already inked Taj Gibson to provide support in Robinson's absence. The latter played for the Washington Wizards last season and has been on three other teams previously coached by Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. With the season completing close to 30 games for every team by the end of December, the Knicks will now seek options.

Here are a few alternatives the front office can explore for Mitchell Robinson:

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5 players the Knicks can sign to replace Mitchell Robinson

#5. Richaun Holmes - Dallas Mavericks

Richaun Holmes is currently plying his trade for the Dallas Mavericks. While he isn't a defensive powerhouse, he can be an upgrade who would bring high-quality rim running. With Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle being offensive weapons, he is a big who can set screens and is a potential lob threat.

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#4. Christian Wood - LA Lakers

Christian Wood was inked by the LA Lakers for a two-year, $5.7 million deal this offseason and the center has done well in the limited minutes he's played for the side. His defense under Darvin Ham has seen significant improvement and that should benefit the Knicks. The LA big is averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds — numbers that will bump up once he replaces Mitchell Robinson on the starting five.

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#3. Kelly Olynyk - Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz have a versatile floor-spacing big in Kelly Olynyk. He's made a good surge in offensive rebounding and has improved on his passing. He can be looked at as an option for a second big in any squad primarily due to his shooting. After being on the bench, he is more useful for NY who have every chance of making the postseason than the Jazz who are pretty much looking from the outside at this stage.

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#2. Clint Capela - Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela is rumored to be on the trade block in the days to come and makes for a perfect fit in place of Mitchell Robinson. The Atlanta Hawks center. Like Holmes and Olynyk, he offers rim protection and his offensive rebounding makes him a case to generate the Knicks' interest. He propped up 35 games with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds last season and that makes him a solid backup to have.

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#1. Jonas Valančiūnas - New Orleans Pelicans

In search of rim protectors, the New Orleans Pelicans had placed Jonas Valančiūnas on the trade market. He has been one of the more productive bigs in the last couple of seasons. He is an elite rebounder and can shoot at a decent clip. This season has him averaging 14.9 points and 9.9 rebounds. He is a volume scorer and is a boost on offense over Mitchell Robinson.