Knicks exercise team option on Mitchell Robinson, waive Norvel Pelle

The Knicks have picked up their option for next season on center Mitchell Robinson and have waived center Norvel Pelle, the team announced (via Twitter).

Robinson will make $1.8 million in the final season of the four-year deal he signed after being drafted in the second round in 2018. He was the Knicks' starting center before getting injured, so it was an easy decision for New York to exercise the option.

The 23-year-old averaged 8.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 31 games before undergoing season-ending foot surgery in late March. He also suffered a broken hand during the season that caused him to miss 15 games.

Robinson is eligible for a four-year, $51 million extension during the offseason, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Knicks also have the option of using cap space to renegotiate his salary for next season and having that be the beginning of an extension. If no extension is reached, Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Pelle, 28, had a $1.7 million option for 2021-22 that the Knicks chose not to exercise. He signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Knicks in April, shortly after Robinson broke his foot, and earned a contract through the end of the season. Pelle appeared in nine games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per night.