You can add Nate Robinson to your list of free agents that fans love way more than GMs do.
Not officially, yet. Officially and through Dec. 9 Robinson is a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder set to make $4.5 million next season. But the two sides are working on a buyout, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
This is mostly about roster space — after coming over from the Celtics last year (in the Kendrick Perkins trade) Robinson was used in just four Thunder games and played only 12 minutes total in the playoffs. He’s not part of the Thunder’s rotation.
It will not save the Thunder money, unless they decide to use the stretch provision of the new CBA (which seems unlikely for one year at just $4.5 million). That full salary will stay on the Thunder’s cap for this season, minus half of any deal he signs somewhere else. (So if Robinson signs with a team for $1 million, the Thunder get $500,000 off the cap.)
Teams looking for some scoring punch off the bench and a guy who will get the fan base excited may want Robinson. He’s not efficient, but he is entertaining.
