Orlando Robinson Rumors

Raptors Sign Orlando Robinson To 10-Day Contract

January 18th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed free agent center Orlando Robinson to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

No corresponding roster move was necessary because Eugene Omoruyi‘s 10-day deal with Toronto expired overnight on Friday, freeing up the 15th spot on the club’s standard roster.

Robinson, 24, spent two seasons with the Heat from 2022-24 before joining the Kings as a free agent last summer to provide depth at center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. However, the former Fresno State standout appeared in just nine games for Sacramento, averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest before being waived ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee deadline earlier this month.

On the same day the Kings waived Robinson, the Raptors cut big man Bruno Fernando, so the newcomer will fill the spot on the depth chart that Fernando previously occupied, providing another frontcourt option for head coach Darko Rajakovic.

Robinson will earn $119,972 over the course of his 10 days with the Raptors, who will take on a cap hit worth the same amount. The deal will run through January 27, allowing Robinson to be active for up to four games.

When the contract expires, Toronto will have the option of re-signing Robinson to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on whether to sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk.

Kings Waive Orlando Robinson

January 7th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 pm: The Kings have officially waived Robinson, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:57 pm: The Kings, who entered the day with four players on non-guaranteed contracts, will retain three of those players and waive one, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Sacramento is cutting center Orlando Robinson, but will hang onto veteran forwards Doug McDermott and Jae Crowder, guaranteeing their full-season salaries. Defensive ace Keon Ellis also technically had a non-guaranteed deal, but was never in danger of being released.

Robinson, 24, joined the Kings as a free agent over the summer to provide depth at center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. However, the former Heat big man has appeared in just nine games, averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest. Sacramento has primarily used Len and power forward Trey Lyles to back up Sabonis.

By waiving Robinson, the Kings will take on a dead-money cap hit of $959,779, which is also the salary he’ll earn for the time he spent with the team.

Retaining McDermott, Crowder, and Ellis will mean locking in cap charges of $2,087,519, $1,655,619, and $2,120,693, respectively. McDermott ($3,303,771) and Crowder ($2,620,232) will earn salaries exceeding their cap hits because the NBA reimburses a team for a portion of a player’s salary if he has more than two years of experience and signs a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

The transaction will leave the Kings with an open spot on their 15-man roster. The team is unlikely to fill that spot immediately, since it could be useful in trade season and keeping it open for the time being will give the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line. Sacramento will be about $3.2MM below the tax line once the move is official, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Fox, Reddish, Hachimura, Clippers Offense, Robinson

November 17th, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

De’Aaron Fox has gone on a scoring binge for the shorthanded Kings, erupting for 109 points and 16 assists over the last two games. Fox became just the third player in NBA history to score at least 109 total points across back-to-back games.

“There’s not a single person in this league that can stop him from getting to the spots where he wants to (get to),” Kings coach Mike Brown said, per Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “I think he’s feeling that. And not only is he feeling that, but he’s showing that.”

As we noted last month, Fox is aiming for a potential extension next offseason after passing on a new deal this past summer.

We have more on the Pacific Division:

The Lakers played without forwards Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura on Saturday. Reddish was a late scratch because of a right peroneal strain – irritation or inflammation in the tendons that run along the outside of a person’s ankle and foot, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. Hachimura missed his second consecutive game due to an ankle injury.
The Clippers entered Sunday’s game saddled with a three-game losing streak, including back-to-back defeats to Houston. They shot 39.6 percent from the field in the first of those losses to Houston and 37.8% from the field in the rematch. “They were physical, they took us out of what we wanted to do,” swingman Norman Powell told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.
Orlando Robinson made his Kings debut on Saturday, contributing six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes. Robinson suffered a left MCL sprain in early October. “I’ve been feeling good,” Robinson said in a video posted by Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham. “I’m almost back to how I was before training camp started and I’m looking forward to getting back to that point so I can contribute to winning.” Robinson signed a one-year contract with Sacramento during the summer.

Injury Notes: Butler, Kyrie, Nets, S. Barnes, O. Robinson

November 14th, 2024 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat forward Jimmy Butler will miss his third straight game in Indiana on Friday as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Butler, who sustained the injury in the first quarter of last Friday’s loss in Denver, did not practice on Thursday.

While the Heat will be playing without their six-time All-Star, they expect to have another injured player available. Third-year forward Nikola Jovic was limited to just three minutes in Tuesday’s overtime loss to Detroit due to a broken nose, but he should be ready to go on Friday with the assistance of a protective mask, Winderman writes.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Guard Kyrie Irving was added to the Mavericks‘ injury report ahead of Thursday’s matchup in Utah, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving, who is off to an excellent individual start to the season, is listed as questionable due to a right shoulder strain. He has yet to miss a game in 2024/25.
Nets swingman Ben Simmons (left calf tightness) underwent an MRI on Thursday and the prognosis is positive. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links), Simmons’ MRI revealed no structural damage and he will be active for Friday’s contest vs. New York. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) is probable for Friday’s contest, while center Nic Claxton is questionable due to a lower back strain.
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was spotted in a mask during Thursday’s practice as he recovers from a fractured orbital bone. However, he was limited to non-contact work and is still about a week away from being reevaluated, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter).
Kings center Orlando Robinson, who was recently cleared for contact, has been assigned to Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton to get some conditioning work in, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Robinson is on the mend from a left MCL sprain he sustained during training camp. The third-year big man has yet to make his ’24/25 season debut.

Kings’ Top Reserve Malik Monk Out At Least Two Weeks

November 11th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk didn’t play against San Antonio on Monday and the Kings guard will miss several more games. He has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat via a team press release (Twitter link).

X-rays revealed no structural damage to the ankle, which he injured during the second quarter against Phoenix on Sunday.

Monk, one of the NBA’s top reserves, is averaging 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 10 games this season. He had a career year last season, averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 72 games off the bench. Monk parlayed that into a four-year, $78MM contract during free agency over the summer.

The Kings also offered two other injury updates. Big man Orlando Robinson is progressing from the left MCL sprain he suffered during training camp on Oct. 3. He has been cleared for contact and the team will update his status in the coming days.

First-round pick Devin Carter is progressing from left shoulder surgery he underwent in July. After a four-month follow-up appointment with a medical specialist, he was cleared for unrestricted shooting. Additional updates will be provided in January. The club offered a timetable of six months following the surgery.

Orlando Robinson To Miss At Least Four Weeks With MCL Sprain

October 5th, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

A sprained MCL will keep Kings center Orlando Robinson out of action for at least four weeks, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Robinson injured his left knee at Thursday’s practice and will be reevaluated early next month, adds James Ham of Kings Beat (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old big man signed with Sacramento in August after a strong performance with Houston’s Summer League team. He spent his first two NBA seasons with Miami and averaged 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 36 games in 2023/24.

Robinson has a one-year contract valued at $2.09MM, but it won’t become fully guaranteed until the league-wide guarantee date of January 7. He holds a partial guarantee of $500K, so it wouldn’t be a major expense to the Kings if he doesn’t make the roster, though Sacramento doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room below the luxury tax line. The team currently has 12 players with fully guaranteed deals, and all three two-way slots are filled.

If he does make the team, Robinson will have to battle for playing time in Sacramento’s crowded frontcourt. Domantas Sabonis is the starting center, and Alex Len serves as the primary backup.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Robinson, Abbott, Kuminga

August 8th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With six-time All-Star swingman DeMar DeRozan joining the Kings this offseason (and veteran forward Harrison Barnes no longer on the roster), Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee speculates as to what the club’s new starting lineup will look like.

Anderson expects 2023 All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis to be joined by Keegan Murray at a forward slot, with DeRozan also in the first five. Anderson notes that Sacramento head coach Mike Brown has some flexibility in terms of which player he wants to be his fifth starter, depending on whether DeRozan lines up at shooting guard or small forward.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Newly-signed Kings reserve big man Orlando Robinson‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the team features a partial guarantee of $500K, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Robinson will earn his full $2.09MM salary if he remains under contract through January 7.
First-year Lakers head coach J.J. Redick is adding more depth to his coaching staff. According to the agency CSE (Twitter link), Los Angeles has brought on Ty Abbott as its lead player development coach. Abbott previously served as the Bulls’ player development coach/coordinator from 2020-24.
Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga is hoping to earn a maximum-salary deal in his rookie scale extension with the team, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reveals in a new episode of the “No Cap Room” podcast. “Jonathan Kuminga is entering the final year of his rookie deal where — according to… various sources — Kuminga and his representatives are looking for a full max extension,” Fischer said. A projected five-year max deal for Kuminga would be worth approximately $224MM.

Kings Sign Orlando Robinson

August 7th, 2024 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: The Kings have announced Robinson’s signing, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

JULY 24: The Kings and free agent center Orlando Robinson have agreed to a one-year deal, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Robinson, 24, spent the past two seasons with the Heat after going undrafted out of Fresno State in 2022. Across two seasons in Miami, he appeared in 67 NBA regular season contests, averaging 3.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 10.9 minutes per game.

Robinson’s contract with the Heat included a non-guaranteed minimum salary for the 2024/25 season. However, the club waived him earlier this month before that salary became fully guaranteed. The 6’10” big man subsequently suited up for the Rockets’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 14.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 23.5 MPG across five appearances.

The Kings’ depth chart behind All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis is fairly limited — Alex Len is currently the only other true five on the roster. Trey Lyles is another option in the middle, but he’s more of a power forward. Veteran center JaVale McGee, who finished last season with the club, remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent.

In other words, there’s a possible path to playing time for Robinson in Sacramento, assuming he makes the regular season roster. The details of his contract aren’t yet known, but it will likely be worth the veteran’s minimum and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not fully guaranteed.

Once Robinson’s deal is official, the Kings will have 14 players on standard contracts, with all three two-way slots filled. Sacramento currently has 12 players with fully guaranteed salaries for 2024/25, while Keon Ellis is on a non-guaranteed contract.

Southwest Notes: Murray, Paul, Barnes, K. Thompson, Robinson, A. Thompson

July 11th, 2024 at 9:16am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans’ success next season will likely hinge on the partnership between newly acquired Dejounte Murray and incumbent franchise player Zion Williamson. Murray wants to make Williamson an ever bigger threat, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press.

“I told him I’m going to push him,” said Murray, who was officially dealt to the Pelicans over the weekend. “If I see something I think he can be better at, if he sees something to me, we’re going to be open to that. … I’m excited to push him to the next level because there are a bunch of levels he can reach.”

Murray’s name was prominent in the rumor mill prior to last season’s trade deadline. He made it known through his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, that the Pelicans appealed to him.

“One of the things Rich said to us was, ‘You really need to go try to get Dejounte Murray,'” said Pelicans executive VP David Griffin, per Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We sort of laughed. We said, ‘We tried to do that at the trade deadline. We weren’t able to make something happen that made sense for both sides.’ But when he shared for us the excitement Dejounte had for our situation, it was really an eye-opening thing. It was meaningful to us.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After getting waived by the Warriors, Chris Paul chose the Spurs despite his lack of a championship ring. Paul will likely return to a starting role with San Antonio and that was a deciding factor, according to Andrew Lopez on ESPN. “I want to play more than anything,” he said. Newly-acquired Harrison Barnes had a 10% trade bonus that he waived in order to help facilitate the deal involving the Kings, Spurs and Bulls. Barnes called it “a pretty easy decision,” adding, “It’s funny, with the new CBA, the trade kicker became more of a play than I was expecting, but I think the opportunity just to come here and to be able play for Pop (Gregg Popovich) and play with this group I think is exciting.”
Klay Thompson said during his introductory press conference that the Mavericks are a perfect fit for him at this stage of his career, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com relays. “Whether you play basketball or work in the corporate world, sometimes change can spur greatness and a new change of scenery can do wonders,” Thompson said. “And I’m very grateful for my time at Golden State. But I just felt like moving on could re-energize me and do something special for the rest of my career. … When I was watching the Mavs make a run for the championship, I just saw myself fitting in really well with this team. They looked like they had fun playing with each other and they played for each other. That was very attractive for me. That’s really all I needed to see.”
Former Heat big man Orlando Robinson is on the Rockets’ Summer League roster, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Robinson was waived on July 7 before his $2.1MM contract became guaranteed. He cleared waivers on Tuesday. Robinson appeared in 36 contests for Miami in 2023/24, averaging 2.8 points on a .500/.533/.760 shooting line. Robinson also chipped in 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per night.
Rockets guard Amen Thompson, who is a member of the USA Select Team this summer, said Houston coach Ime Udoka is “reasonably hard” on his players, he told Sam Yip of HoopsHype. “He’s kind of similar to some coaches I’ve had in the past. The thing that’s different about him is he can get in the mix with us, like he’s a player,” he said. “I’ve never had a coach that played in the NBA. When he talks, I gotta listen because he’s been there. He’s reasonably hard on everybody. He doesn’t go crazy, but he’s reasonably hard.”

Heat Waive Orlando Robinson

July 7th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Heat have waived reserve center Orlando Robinson, the team announced (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old had been on a non-guaranteed $2.1MM deal with the Heat heading into the 2024/25 season. With this move, the seven-foot big man is on track to become an unrestricted free agent, assuming he clears waivers on Tuesday.

Robinson’s tenure with the team had been expected to end after Miami made a series of moves to shore up its depth at center, re-signing veteran floor-spacing big man Kevin Love and rim-running five Thomas Bryant after selecting former Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft.

The decision to bring back Bryant was a curious one, as his lackluster defense occasionally led to a complete banishment from the team’s rotation. He lacks the offensive upside of Love, a great passer and shooter, or the intriguing defense of Robinson. Bryant’s three-point shooting also fell off mightily, from a career 35.5% on 1.3 triple tries per game to just 18.2% on 0.6 attempts.

The seven-foot Robinson went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2022. He inked multiple two-way deals with the Heat in 2022/23, toggling between Miami and its NBAGL affiliate squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He signed a standard deal with the Heat following the team’s 2023 Finals run. Robinson was a fringe rotation player as a springy, raw big man. He appeared in just 36 contests for Miami in 2023/24, averaging 2.8 points on a .500/.533/.760 shooting line. Robinson also chipped in 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per night.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, cutting Robinson leaves the Heat with 13 players signed to their 15-man standard roster. The Heat will look to add at least a 14th player prior to the start of the season.