Nate Robinson is still one of the top free agents left on the market and while he hasn't signed with a team yet in the NBA, that didn't stop him from joining the summer league for some fun, as he signed a baby while he waits for the best offer and some options could be the Denver Nuggets, Knicks and Lakers as well as other teams.
Robinson took time to sign a baby at the summer league as shown on Twitter and he comes into the offseason after having been a solid option for the Bulls last year in the playoffs. He dropped 27 in game 1 to help the team defeat the Miami Heat and now he remains one of the top names left on the market.
Robinson of course played for the Knicks after being drafted and this past season he starred for the Bulls in the playoffs while they were dealing with injuries to Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. GM Glen Grunwald said that he was impressed with what Robinson did last season in Chicago, but so far there has been no extra movement on a deal. Robinson is likely looking for more than the vets minimum, which is what he would likely get with the Knicks and that could mean Brooks is the more likely option.
The Bulls had a tough year without Rose and the team dropped to 29th in the league in points per game, but since their defense ranked third, they were able to finish in the top part of the Eastern conference. The return of the former MVP will only be a boost to Chicago and with Dunleavy in the fold, the team should be much stronger away from the basket. Deng led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game last season and Joakim Noah showed why he is one of the most versatile players in the league.
Spotted at #NBASummerLeague: @nate_robinson, attending @bobcats vs. @Bucks, signs a baby during halftime. pic.twitter.com/rZDFA3INsU
— NBASummerLeague (@NBASummerLeague) July 18, 2013
General manager Glen Grunwald has spent the offseason trying to improve the team after the Knicks won 50 games and if Robinson joins New York, he will be a solid bench option, although the Knicks may not want to bring him back to the city after he was traded away last time. Robinson had a solid season with the Bulls and stepped up big time in the playoffs, but so far the interest on him has been small and that could leave the Knicks to sign him on a cheap contract. The team still has moves to make and they could work on adding some solid depth to the roster for Anthony and company.
The Knicks have the summer league to look as well and Tim Hardaway has been playing well in the summer league and he had nine points against the Wizards when he got hurt and that came after he led the team in scoring with 13 against the Pelicans in the previous game,. Hardaway said he is using the summer league to help improve his game and so far he has done well handling the ball and using his patience to help set up plays. Coach Mike Woodson said he has liked what he has seen in the summer league from the rookie and that he was impressed how he played against Austin Rivers on Friday and Otto Porter on Sunday.
The Knicks may add Robinson if he hangs around as a free agent for some more time and they are also keeping a close eye on their summer league team, including JR's brother Chris. The team also could go after Euroleague star Bobby Brown at point guard, as they worked him out in Las Vegas after he averaged 18.8 points and 5.3 assists in Italy.