Nate Robinson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Sign Chasson Randle To 10-Day Contract

January 10th, 2017 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 10: The Sixers officially signed Randle today, starting the clock on his 10-day deal, the team announced in a press release.

JANUARY 9: The 76ers have agreed to a deal with Chasson Randle, and will sign him to a 10-day contract on Tuesday, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). We first heard over the weekend that Randle had a workout scheduled with the club.

Randle, who went undrafted in 2015, appeared headed toward a roster spot with the Knicks in October, but was waived after suffering an orbital bone fracture. He joined the Westchester Knicks in the D-League as an affiliate player and has averaged 20.7 PPG through 19 contests. There was some speculation that Randle might return to New York at some point, but Ron Baker, the team’s third point guard, secured a guaranteed contract this weekend, opening the door for another club to land Randle.

According to a Sunday report, Randle was one of a handful of point guards to audition for Philadelphia, along with Briante Weber, Cat Barber, and Yogi Ferrell. Interestingly, international basketball reporter David Pick added today (via Twitter) that the Sixers also worked out Nate Robinson, who has been out of the NBA since 2015.

The Sixers had an open spot on their 15-man roster after cutting Hollis Thompson last week, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to add Randle. Philadelphia is the third club this month to take advantage of the 10-day deal — the Nuggets re-signed Alonzo Gee to a 10-day contract on Sunday, and the Nets are reportedly bringing in Quincy Acy on a 10-day pact of his own.

Eastern Notes: Mickey, Brown, Wall, Beal

August 31st, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Mickey‘s spot on the Celtics‘ roster seems safe even in a crowded training camp, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. With John Holland being waived today, Boston has 18 players on its roster, with 16 on fully guaranteed contracts. But the Celtics don’t seem likely to cut ties with Mickey after making a four-year commitment to him last offseason. After taking him in the second round of the 2015 draft, Boston gave Mickey a $5MM deal with a higher annual salary than first-round pick R.J. Hunter received. Mickey appeared in just 16 games for Boston as a rookie, spending most of the season with the team’s Maine affiliate in the D-League. He led the league in blocks with 4.4 per game and was a D-League All-Star. Blakely writes that the Celtics want to see more of Mickey at the NBA level before making a long-term decision.

There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:

Celtics power forward Jaylen Brown was voted the most athletic rookie by his fellow Class of 2016 members, relays CSNNE. Brown, the third player taken in the June draft, topped an NBA.com poll with 38.7% of the votes, followed by the Clippers’ Brice Johnson with 16.1% and the Suns’ Marquese Chriss with 9.7%.
It’s healthy for John Wall and Bradley Beal to be open about their disagreements, contends Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. He believes the Wizards‘ backcourt tandem will improve their communication because they’re willing to speak publicly about the problem, which Bucher describes as both wanting to be the dominant personality on the team. Bucher doesn’t think there’s a need to trade either one because their skills are complementary.
The Knicks are gambling with their point guard position by bringing in two players with significant injury histories, writes Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. New York traded for Derrick Rose, whose 66 games last season were by far the most since tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, and signed Brandon Jennings, who suffered an Achilles tear in January of 2014. Beer lists several unsigned players the Knicks should consider as insurance: Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson, Jordan Farmar, Andre Miller and Lance Stephenson.

Free Agent Notes: N. Robinson, S. Jackson, Cole

August 25th, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we passed along comments from Jason Terry on his free agency process and the teams he considered before landing with the Bucks. While Terry eventually found a new home, another veteran guard is still looking for a place to play.

In a separate conversation on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link), Nate Robinson told Terry that he wishes NBA teams would give him a fair shot at earning a roster spot and making a comeback. Last month, we heard that Robinson wasn’t receiving much interest around the league, in part because teams were turned off by his previously-stated interest in joining the NFL.

Here are a few more free agent notes from across the NBA:

Stephen Jackson, another longtime NBA veteran attempting to make an NBA comeback, also appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio this week (SoundCloud link). Jackson suggested he has “a good two years left” and named the Knicks, Bulls, and Pelicans as a few teams that would interest him. “I’m not one of those guys chasing the ring,” Jackson said. “I have one, so I’m really not one of those guys that’s looking to be a part of a championship team and try to steal a ring and not really earn it. … I just want to play basketball and do what I love to do.”
According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), free agent guard Norris Cole, who has been represented by Rich Paul for the last two years, has a new agent. The Timberwolves received a call from Cole’s new rep this week and didn’t completely dismiss the idea of signing him, but there’s nothing close right now, says Wolfson. Minnesota already has three point guards with guaranteed salaries on the roster, and yesterday added two more veterans to compete in camp.
John Wall, who underwent two offseason knee procedures, isn’t a lock to be ready by opening night, prompting Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic.com to wonder if the Wizards will explore adding more point guard depth to their roster. There are still several experienced point guards on the free agent market.

And-Ones: Durant, Mack, Evans, Robinson

July 5th, 2016 at 10:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

A contributing factor that led to Kevin Durant leaving OKC to join the Warriors was his frustration with the Thunder‘s offense and guard Russell Westbrook‘s tendency to dominate the ball, a source close to the “Slim Reaper” told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. “Ultimately, he got frustrated and felt that they had plateaued,” the source told Beck. “[Coach Billy Donovan] came in, and he still had the same issues that he had with Russ under Scotty [former coach Scott Brooks]. The offense didn’t change much. He still had to take a ton of contested shots every game; and that’s when he had the ball at all. He’s never going to have a game in Golden State where Steve Kerr has to say at halftime, ‘You guys need to get Kevin the ball,’ which happened in OKC.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The chances are increasing dramatically that the Mavericks will look to trade forward Jeremy Evans, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Evans, 28, has one year and $1,227,286 remaining on his current contract. Dallas is also exploring options to get JaVale McGee and his $1,403,611 salary off the books for next season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com tweets. If the center remains on the roster past July 12th his deal becomes fully guaranteed.
The Jazz will keep point guard Shelvin Mack on the roster past Thursday, which means his contract worth $2,433,334 will become fully guaranteed, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Unrestricted free agent guard Nate Robinson hasn’t garnered much interest around the league and a number of teams have been turned off by his stated interest in joining the NFL, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated relays (on Twitter).
The Warriors are seeking veterans willing to sign team friendly deals to fill out the roster and may be interested in point guard Mario Chalmers and center Kendrick Perkins, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle writes.

And-Ones: Robinson, Bargnani, Draft, Dunn

June 13th, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA guard Nate Robinson, who has expressed interest in making the leap from the NBA to the NFL, is getting his first shot at an audition. According to Master Tesfatsion and Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Robinson is trying out for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks on Monday, getting a look from the team as a defensive back.

Robinson, who last appeared on an NBA court in a couple games for the Pelicans this past season, is only 5’9″ and turned 32 last month, so the idea of him earning a spot on an NFL roster seems far-fetched. However, the Seattle native did play football at the University of Washington in 2002, playing 13 games at cornerback. For more on Robinson’s pursuit of an NFL roster spot, check out the story from our sister site, Pro Football Rumors.

Here are a few more Monday odds and ends:

Former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, who is expected to consider NBA and international opportunities this offseason, has some interest in playing in Spain next season, sources tell Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bargnani is also drawing interest from Turkey’s Darussafaka Dogus, who are now being coached by David Blatt.
Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez, French power forward Guerschon Yabusele, and French wing Isaia Cordinier are keeping their names in the draft, reports ESPN’s Chad Ford (all Twitter links). Hernangomez and Yabusele could come off the board in the first round, while Cordinier, who hopes to play in the NBA right away, projects as a second-rounder.
As international early entrants make their decisions on whether or not to remain in the draft, one NCAA underclassmen has made an interesting decision of his own. According to Ford, Providence point guard Kris Dunn has refused to work out for NBA teams unless he’s given the opportunity to compete one-on-one against Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, or Jamal Murray. As such, Dunn has yet to work out for any clubs.
Dragan Bender‘s previously-reported workouts with the Timberwolves, Suns, and Celtics will take place on June 16th, 18th, and 21st, respectively, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick.
Brad Ames, a player agent working for Priority Sports & Entertainment, has relinquished his certification as an NBA player rep, the NBPA’s Daren Jenkins tells Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link).

And-Ones: D’Antoni, Eversley, Walton

April 27th, 2016 at 9:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former NBA player Nate Robinson, when asked who was the worst coach he had played for in the NBA, had some unkind words for Mike D’Antoni, who coached the diminutive guard when both were with the Knicks, international journalist David Pick relays. “Mike D’Antoni was a cool coach, but he was just a bad person,” Robinson told Pick. “He can coach. He was just mean for no reason. He had no reason to be a certain way toward players he liked and didn’t like. As a man, you would talk to somebody if you had a problem with them. You would tell them. He never told me exactly what his problem was with me. I didn’t know how to change it. I’d talk to him every day, but he would ignore me. It was crazy.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Lakers have asked for and been granted permission to interview Warriors assistant Luke Walton for their vacant coaching post, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (on Twitter). Golden State’s allowance for Los Angeles to speak with Walton did come with the caveat that it occur when the team is between playoff series, Spears adds.
Marc Eversley, who is currently the Wizards‘ VP of scouting, interviewed with the Sixers this week for a post that would make him GM Bryan Colangelo‘s second in command, relays Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (via Twitter).
Heat power forward Chris Bosh, who hasn’t played since February 9th because of concerns about reported blood clots in his left calf, is lobbying for the team to activate him so he can contribute in the playoffs, The Toronto Sun relays via the Sports Xchange. Bosh’s wife, Adrienne, even took to Twitter with the message #BringBoshBack, but the organization still maintains its stance that the veteran is out indefinitely, according to the post.
LSU freshman shooting guard Antonio Blakeney won’t be testing the draft waters this season despite his name appearing on the league’s official early entrants list, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). “Just a case of formality of the paperwork not reaching the NBA office prior to the preparation of the list,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said of Blakeney’s inclusion among the draft entrants, Goodman notes.

And-Ones: Telfair, Lee, Robinson

April 20th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Idaho State junior point guard Ethan Telfair intends to test the waters and declare for the 2016 NBA Draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Ethan, who is the younger brother of former NBA player Sebastian Telfair, doesn’t intend to hire an agent, which would allow him to withdraw and return to school prior to the May 25th cutoff date, Goodman adds. The junior is a long shot to be selected this June, not appearing among the top 100 prospects according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress or Chad Ford of ESPN.com. In 29 games for Idaho State this season, Telfair averaged 20.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists to accompany a slash line of .397/.375/.864.

Here’s more from around the league:

Kentucky junior power forward Marcus Lee fully intends to make the jump to the NBA next season, but he’ll hold off on hiring an agent to keep his options open, Goodman relays in a separate piece. “I haven’t hired an agent,” Lee told Goodman. “Because I want to keep my eligibility just in case I decide to come back, but my plan is to go to the NBA. That’s the only goal. I want people to know I am serious about this. I’ve talked to Coach Cal [John Calipari] about this, and he definitely understands that I’m going to the NBA this year.”
Former NBA combo guard Nate Robinson hasn’t begun training for it, but he still fully intends to pursue his dream of making it into the NFL, as he told ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. When asked if he was still serious about making an NFL bid, Robinson responded, “Serious as a heart attack. Totally serious. As soon as I get the opportunity, if it comes my way, I’ll take full advantage of it.” The veteran currently plays for Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, the club he signed with in March.
Turkish point guard Berk Ugurlu intends to enter this year’s draft, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). The 19-year-old isn’t among Givony‘s top 100 players. Givony instead ranks Ugurlu as the No. 12 international player in his class.

Nate Robinson Signs With Israeli Team

March 17th, 2016 at 8:00am CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 8:00am: The signing is official, Pick tweets.

MONDAY, 1:51pm: Nate Robinson has agreed to a deal with Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The three-time dunk champion who began the season with the Pelicans had been trying to make a run at the National Football League, but it appears he’s put that effort on the shelf for now. The 31-year-old has remained unsigned since the Pelicans waived him shortly after opening night, failing to hook up with China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers after reportedly working out for them in January.

The diminutive guard has had a tough time finding NBA work since he did a buyout deal with the Celtics in the middle of last season, after Boston acquired him in a trade with the Nuggets. The Clippers signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts last March, but he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee that prompted the Clippers to turn to Lester Hudson instead.

Robinson was on the opposite end of injury luck this fall, when the banged-up Pelicans signed him to a non-guaranteed contract during the preseason, and when the team made him its opening-night starter at point guard, it appeared Robinson had a place in the NBA for at least a while longer. Instead, New Orleans jumped on Toney Douglas, who’d shaken free from the Pacers, and cut Robinson after only two regular season games.

This would be the first overseas excursion for Robinson, who’s played in parts of 11 NBA seasons, including this one. He’s not far removed from decent production, having averaged 10.4 points in just 19.7 minutes per game for the 2013/14 Nuggets, so a strong closing stretch in Israel is liable to help him back to the game’s highest level.

Do you think we’ll see Nate Robinson in the NBA again? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

And-Ones: Robinson, Johnson, Parsons

March 10th, 2016 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nate Robinson is trying to leap from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors. The diminutive NBA veteran who began this season with the Pelicans announced in a YouTube video that he’s going to make a run at playing in the NFL. The video features testimonials from NFL players Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

Robinson, who turns 32 in May, went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship in 2002 and impressed with electrifying plays on the field, but many years have passed since he played competitive football. He didn’t say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.

Here’s more from around the league:

Injured Heat point guard Tyler Johnson is aiming to play again this season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder on February 3rd, though there is still no definitive timetable for his return to action, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I’m still hopeful, for sure,” Johnson said. “But, again, I’m not going to push it to a point where I can maybe damage it a little bit more or do anything to have a setback. I think every day it feels a little bit better. So I guess that’s where the optimism comes in, is that every day I wake up I can start to do a couple of new things that I wasn’t able to do before. So, I’m going to push for that. That’s a personal goal. But the doctors and the trainers, they haven’t given me a timetable. They said, ‘We’re not going to give you a date to where you can come back,’ because we could get to that time and it’s not ready.“
Chandler Parsons, provided he remains with the Mavericks, is a solid candidate to replace Dirk Nowitzki as the face of the franchise once the German power forward calls it a career, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opines. While Parsons certainly has the skill set to carry a franchise, the question remains whether he will put in the work required to achieve greatness, Sefko adds. The small forward is reportedly almost certain to turn down his player option for 2016/17, and Houston and Orlando are expected to pursue him.
The Blazers assigned Cliff Alexander and Luis Montero to the D-League, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets. The duo will report to the Warriors‘ affiliate as part of the NBA’s flexible assignment rule, since Portland does not have its own affiliate.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Nate Robinson To Audition For Chinese Team

January 15th, 2016 at 9:37am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 9:37am: The Flying Tigers won’t be signing Robinson, Pick hears (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 8:46am: Nate Robinson will work out soon for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, as sources tell Nick Bedard of Basketball Buddha and as international journalist David Pick confirms (Twitter link). The three-time NBA slam dunk champ has been on the market since clearing waivers from the Pelicans, who surprisingly waived him two days after he started for the team on opening night. It’s unclear what sort of deal it would take for Xinjiang to land the Aaron Goodwin client, though with the team tied for first place, a signing for the rest of the normally brief Chinese season is liable to keep Robinson off the market until late March if the Flying Tigers make the finals.

The 31-year-old Robinson has yet to play professionally overseas, having appeared in the NBA each season since he was the 21st overall pick in 2005. An injury helped keep him from finishing the season in the NBA last year, when the Clippers decided against re-signing him after his pair of 10-day contracts expired. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said his team preferred Toney Douglas, whom New Orleans signed the day after Robinson’s October release.

The Flying Tigers have former NBA big man Andray Blatche in the midst of a three-year deal. They also have ex-Lakers player Andrew Goudelock, who’s been playing well, but both Bedard and Pick speculate that he would be the one to go should the team sign Robinson (Twitter link).

Nate Robinson