Stephen A. Smith lost it after learning of big Knicks news

On an appearance on ESPN's First Take, Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania revealed that New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will be out for the remainder of the calendar year. Robinson suffered an ankle injury during Game 3 of the Knicks first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and received surgery in May.

It was the second ankle injury Robinson suffered during the season, injuring it earlier in the year in December. Charania reported that Robinson will be able to make a return in January 2025. Due to his timeline of injuries, the Knicks want to keep Robinson out until he can play at peak form.

When Charania broke the news to Knicks superfan Stephen A. Smith, Smith freaked out.

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The good news for Smith and Knicks fans is that the organization traded for Karl Anthony Towns. Robinson's injury would have kept the Knicks without a true starting center at the beginning of the season. Charania reported that New York and the Minnesota Timberwolves had been talking about a Towns trade since the week of the 2024 NBA Draft.

During that week the Knicks offered Minnesota a trade package surrounding Julius Randle and Robinson but the Timberwolves felt Towns was worth much more. Ultimately, the Knicks kept Robinson and traded Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick for Towns in order to secure a center for the whole season.

Towns made his Knicks debut Wednesday night and scored 25 points on seven-of-20 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds. When Robinson returns from injury the Knicks will have solid center depth, but that won't happen until the calendar flips to 2025.

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