The Knicks signed Liam Robbins to an Exhibit 10 deal, then waived him a day later. It is a cold transaction on paper, but it also tells you the front office is not planning to let training camp turn into a long, sentimental parade of tryout contracts.
Robbins can still land with Westchester if he clears waivers, so this does not have to be the end of his place in the organization. The immediate NBA chance is gone, though, and the timing makes the roster competition look a lot more serious.
I actually like the directness. The Knicks are defending champions. They do not need to keep bodies around just because a player had a decent summer or fits a nice development story.
The Knicks have a finite number of spots and a pile of non-guaranteed names trying to take them. No one is getting weeks to grow into camp shape or wait for another guy to stumble.
Robbins is a 7-footer who spent time in the G League and appeared in 13 NBA games with Milwaukee in 2024-25. There is a real basketball path here, especially if Westchester becomes the next step. But the big club made its preference clear: the final spots must solve a very specific problem, not simply add depth on a spreadsheet.
Liam Robbins contests a rebound in a G League playoff game. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
There is no shame in an Exhibit 10 route. It can be a clean way to keep a player close, especially when an organization wants to retain G League rights and keep an eye on his development.
The move is still a reminder for every camp invite. Liam Robbins did not get a slow audition. Nobody else should expect one, either.
0What do you think? Post a comment.
The Knicks are building a roster for May, not a nice September press release. That standard is going to make somebody else's camp story ugly soon enough.
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