After a series of DNP-CDs, Nate Robinson wants out of New York, or so says Chris Sheridan…
Robinson does want out, and a source close to the Robinson camp tells ESPN.com there’s one place the former slam-dunk champion would truly like to land if a trade can be worked out: Boston.
If that can’t happen, Robinson wants a buyout, believing he will be able to sign with one of the top contending teams in the league, including the Lakers, Cleveland and Orlando — the thinking being that he can provide the instant offensive boost for any of those teams that he once provided for the Knicks.
To illustrate just how far his stock has fallen in a few short months, here is what John Hollinger had to say about him before the season:
2009-10 outlook: With few teams showing interest in him as a restricted free agent, Robinson re-signed with the Knicks on a one-year, $4 million deal — a below-market salary that he’ll seek to rectify as an unrestricted free agent next summer. He’ll move back into the same situation in New York as a sixth man who backs up both guard spots and will be one of the front-runners for the league’s Sixth Man award. Despite coming off the bench, he’ll likely average more than 30 minutes a game and could average as much as 20 points if everything breaks his way.
Seemingly a fine fit (as a finisher, not a distributor–is there really that much difference between Robinson and Leandro Barbosa?) in Mike D’Antoni’s system, it’s odd that he’s not able to get any minutes. But the Knicks have been 6-3 since D’Antoni took Robinson out of the rotation, so the proverbial proof is in the pudding.
It’s not likely that the Knicks will be willing to move Robinson, as they are unwilling to add any salary that would eat into their cap space next summer. Moreover, Robinson can veto any trade, so would he rather fight for minutes on a bottom feeder or sit on the end of the bench in New York? He wants to play for a contender, but everyone wants to play for a contender.
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Bayless has had trouble getting consistent minutes in his year and change with the Blazers, but Portland was without Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw due to injury, so Bayless played 29 minutes last night against the Suns. He responded with 29 points, four assists, three rebounds, and hit 9 of 15 shots from the field, spearheading a 105-102 win for the Blazers at the Rose Garden.
Normally, I pick a player from a winning team, but tonight I’m going to give the Line of the Night to Michael Redd because the Bucks got royally hosed against the Lakers. There were a series of bad calls down the stretch and in overtime, but the killer was a travel and charge by Kobe that was somehow turned into a three point play. Lakers win, 107-106, in OT. Ridiculous. You’d think the game was in L.A. the way the officiating crew was cowtowing to the Lakers.
