Nate Robinson: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation on Free-Agent Guard
Free agent point guard Nate Robinson is reportedly joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
Continue for updates.
Robinson Reportedly Will Sign 10-Day Contract With Clippers
Saturday, March 7
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported that Robinson will join the Clippers on a 10-day contract.
Clippers forward Matt Barnes posted a photo of Robinson on Instagram, welcoming the guard to Los Angeles:
Nate-Rob Interested in Chicago Reunion
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Sam Amick of USA Today reported Robinson would be interested if the Bulls called him about a reunion. Robinson, 30, played for the Bulls during the 2012-13 season Rose missed while recovering from a torn ACL. The offensive lightning bolt is available after reaching a buyout agreement with the Boston Celtics in January.
Robinson had initially been traded to Boston by the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Jameer Nelson. In 33 games with Denver, Robinson averaged a career-low 5.8 points and 2.3 assists per game. He looked noticeably slower and less explosive—an expected consequence of him still recovering from an ACL tear that limited him to 44 games in 2013-14.
While his particular brand of basketball clashed at times with coach Tom Thibodeau's control-freak nature, the two remain on generally good terms
“Nate’s a character,’’ Thibodeau told reporters of Robinson in January. “He did a great job for us. The thing about Nate I always say is he’s scaring both coaches right now. He was wonderful. I got a lot of respect for him. Obviously, I coached him in Boston too. He’s a great teammate and did a great job for us.
Robinson or not, the Bulls are going to be active on the open market looking for a point guard. Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich will likely man the duties in the interim, but neither are equipped to handle an extensive workload.
Brooks has been a revelation this season in short bursts, the latest in a growing list of point guards whose careers have been rejuvenated under Thibodeau. But he's a bad defender, slight in frame and his recent NBA track record says extended minutes will only lead to lower efficiency. Hinrich is 34 years old and a bit of a mess on both ends of the floor.
Adding Robinson and putting him with Brooks might create a bit of a redundancy. Chicago probably would have preferred getting the Rose news before someone like Jordan Farmar, who just signed a deal in Turkey, went off the market.
If Robinson winds up being the best they can do, at least Thibodeau and Co. can take solace in knowing it worked before.
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