National Basketball Association

Thomas Robinson: What's Next For Former Lottery Pick?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Perusing through the 17 names of the guys who suited up for the Brooklyn Nets last year, Thomas Robinson was one of them. The 6-foot-9, 24-year-old power forward inked a two-year deal during the summer of 2015 and exercised his player option for this upcoming year.

After spending three years at the University of Kansas, Thomas Robinson was selected fifth overall in the 2012 Draft by the Sacramento Kings, and it was rightfully so. It took just one year for Robinson to evolve from a role player into one of the nation’s top talent. His junior year saw him average 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds. He also earned Big 12 Player of the Year and was named a first-team All-American.

Where he really impressed was with his athleticism and physical attributes. Simply put, Robinson is a beast. Accompanying his 6-foot-9 frame is a 7-foot-3 wingspan and 35.5-inch max vertical, which is what allowed him to be the NCAA’s best rebounder as a junior. However, he didn’t have a polished offensive game in college. A majority of his points came on putbacks and alley-oops.

Transitioning to the NBA

Transitioning to the NBA was tough for Robinson. Aside from not being more than an energetic glass cleaner, going to the Kings at the height of their dysfunction didn’t help. Since being drafted, T-Rob has played for five teams (Sacramento, Houston, Portland, Philadelphia, Brooklyn) in four seasons, and each year has been a repeat of previous ones.

Robinson has his issues like any other player, which includes being erratic at times and having a short temper. But he’s not a terrible player by any stretch of the imagination and has gotten consistent minutes with every team he’s been on. However, those minutes have hovered around the 14-16 per game mark. He also made the most of his opportunities and was an absolute force when he started seven games for the Nets last season. He finished the season averaging 14.6 points, 12.3 rebounds in 28.1 minutes a night.

As he matured, he has become a better ball player and has shown that he can produce in the NBA. Whether it’s on the glass, on defense, or various ways on offense like out of the pick-and-roll, transition, or cleaning up missed shots, Robinson is effective.

Next: Rumors & Potential Return To Nets

Who’s Interested In Thomas Robinson

The free agency talks have been dead for a while now, but Robinson’s name was swirling around in early July. When he opted out of his deal with the Nets, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported that the Pelicans, Spurs, Mavericks, and Timberwolves all had some interest in T-Rob.

Whether talks are still going on, I don’t know. But if any of these organizations were to sign Robinson, he’d be relegated to a bench role, as each team already has their frontline spots filled. The odds of him starting over Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, or Karl-Anthony Towns are too far-fetched. But he would be fascinating to watch as a role player, especially in Minnesota. The T-Wolves are going to have a sky-high pace next season. Wouldn’t it be a sight to see Robinson running alongside KAT, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn on the fastbreak?

As far as coming back to the Nets goes, there’s a chance. Re-signing Robinson would give him a nice opportunity to develop without having to compromise team expectations. Like most players in the NBA, Robinson most likely decided to test free agency to get a heftier contract. To his dismay, no one offered.

He’s a very humble guy and a player who still has an incredibly high ceiling as he hits his prime. Personally, I’d love to see Robinson back in Brooklyn.

Next: D-League?

What About The D-League?

This is close to an emphatic no.

Robinson doesn’t seem like he’d be above going to the D-League, but he would be so incredibly dominant. Players who are talented enough to make an NBA roster look like Hall-of-Famers in the D-League because the competition isn’t what they’re used to. That’s not a knock on the players in the minor league because they’re professionals in their own right. However, they haven’t reached the NBA level yet, and NBA-level players carve them up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Take Jordan McRae for example. McRae was a top-six scorer in the D-League (23.3 points) without the athletic ability that Robinson has, but hardly cracked the Cavaliers rotation. Robinson would use his athleticism and strength to his advantage. He would probably put up 25 points and 18 rebounds per night.

Next: Traveling Abroad?

Possible Overseas Play

In between the D-League and the NBA are the various other professional basketball leagues in Spain, China, Italy, etc. Some of those countries boast incredible talent in leagues that aren’t a joke. Just looking at the Olympics, there are a ton of skilled players stashed away overseas. Robinson would have a chance to be a solid rotational player–and possibly a starter–in a premier overseas league.

His best spot, if he elected to leave the country, would be the CBA in China because his game is more tailored toward that. Unlike Spanish and Italian leagues, China isn’t so perimeter oriented. Robinson wouldn’t need to worry so much about spacing the floor and doing things that European bigs have to.

Going to a league like Liga ACB (Spain) or Lega Basket Serie A (Italy) would help Robinson develop into a more polished player. In turn, this could draw more attention from NBA teams because versatility is the best attribute for this new school style of play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqwjKSkc03M