The Denver Nuggets have been fairly quiet this offseason after changing both their head coach and their general manager and after their best player in Andre Iguodala bolted to the Warriors, the team is finally ready to make some moves, as they have signed in Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson and could make more moves.
According to ESPN.com, Robinson signed a two-year deal with the team and they also could work out a sign and trade with center Timofey Mozgov, as the Kings and Spurs are interested in him. The Spurs are one of the finalists for Greg Oden and if they miss out a trade could go down, as they have shown they are not going to sign restricted free agent Gary Neal.
Robinson has been one player that hasn't received much attention overall in free agency, but now that the bigger names have mostly disappeared from the market after signing with other clubs, there is a good chance the diminutive guard will get some added heat. According to ESPN.com, the strongest vibes have been coming from the Nuggets, who will need to replace some scoring after losing Iguodala in free agency.
The Bulls used Robinson extensively in the playoffs after losing Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng to injuries and he played fairly well, averaging over 16 points for the team in postseason play and helping them to win a game against the Miami Heat. Last season he averaged 13.1 points with 4.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds while playing in 82 games and he showed that he could be durable and a team player while with Chicago. He scored 27 points and was instrumental in the opening win against the Heat and he scored in double digits in four of the five games of the series, including 21 points in the Game 5 elimination.
Some reports also have the NY Knicks interested in signing Robinson, but that would likely depend on how much money he asks for, as the team is in a tough financial spot after bringing back JR Smith and Pablo Prigioni. The Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau are unlikely to bring Robinson back at this point and his best option may be to return to the Knicks, where he was drafted, or opt for another team like the Nuggets.
Last season the Nuggets had their best season in franchise history while going 57-25 and they were nearly unbeatable at home, but after a first round upset by the Warriors, George Karl was pushed out and GM Masai Ujiri decided to part to the Raptors. The team is going through some big changes on the court and in the front office and now they may add Robinson to a mix that already has Ty Lawson, Andre Miller, Evan Fournier, Erick Green and Randy Foye.
Foye came over in the three-team deal that netted the Warriors Iguodala and he could get the chance to play important minutes for the team this season. Kenneth Faried will have an even more important role on the team now and along with JJ Hickson, he will provide solid rebounding down low. Hickson signed with the team for three-years after averaging 12.7 points and 10.4 rebounds with the Blazers and he will provide consistency down low. Robinson isn't considered an elite player, but he may be able to help with the scoring that Iguodala provided.