Knicks' center has chance to enter rare territory in team history

In today's NBA , few players stick with teams for very long, let alone their whole careers.

That's been true of the New York Knicks in recent years, as they have jumped from one era to the next, shipping out players to bring in new ones.

However, Mitchell Robinson has thus far been the exception.

Robinson was drafted by the Knicks in the second round in 2018. As of now, he is slated to be their starting center .

As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News pointed out, Robinson has the chance to enter rare territory in Knicks history this season.

Houston, for reference, joined the Knicks in 1996-97 and retired after the 2004-05 season.

In six seasons, Robinson has already played under three head coaches and two different front offices. The roster has turned over multiple times.

In 2018-19, Robinson's rookie year, the five players who led the team in minutes were Kevin Knox, Damyeon Dotson, Noah Vonleh, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Tim Hardaway Jr. It's a far cry from where the roster stands today.

The Knicks, for years, were criticized for poor drafting and even worse talent retention. RJ Barrett, the No. 3 pick in 2019, was the first first-round Knicks draft pick to sign a second, multi-year contract with the Knicks since Charlie Ward. Every other first-round pick was either let go or only signed a one-year deal. Barrett was traded to the Toronto Raptors this past season for OG Anunoby.

Robinson re-signed with the Knicks in 2022 on a four-year, $60 million deal.

Of course, Robinson himself has been in trade rumors this offseason. And there is buzz that the Knicks will look to add another center this season, whether that's to backup or replace Robinson.

Should Robinson survive those rumors, he'll have a chance to become something of a franchise staple.