[h1]
Greek team offers 2-year deal to Knicks'Robinson[/h1]BY ALAN HAHN |
[email protected] 9:43 PM EDT, July 14, 2009LAS VEGAS - Nate Robinson may be getting a big fat Greek payday. Newsday has learned that Olympiakos, the Athens-based team thatlast summer lured Josh Childress away from the
NBA, has offered
the Knicks' 5-9 guard a two-year contract.
Robinson, 25, a restricted free agent, could earn $10 million in the deal, according to a source. Knicks president Donnie Walsh said Tuesday that he had noinformation about the offer from Olympiakos other than the initial report by a Greek media outlet Monday night.
Robinson's agent, Aaron Goodwin, said he had no comment about the offer.
Walsh and Goodwin are expected to talk again Friday about Robinson's future with the Knicks. Walsh has said his initial plan is to try to sign Robinson,but other factors suggest he may eventually seek a sign-and-trade.
The Knicks - who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - drafted a point guard, Toney Douglas, and apparently are pursuing others in free agency.It is believed they are seriously considering a one-year offer of the full midlevel exception ($5.8 million) to
Andre Miller. Of course, if Robinson takes theOlympiakos deal, the Knicks would only have to make a qualifying offer next June to retain his NBA rights as a restricted free agent.
Robinson, one of the smallest players in the league, had a breakthrough performance last season, when he averaged a career-high 17.2 points. His popularityskyrocketed after he won his second Slam Dunk title at NBA All-Star weekend in February when he donned all green, called himself KryptoNate and dunked over6-11
Dwight Howard. Robinson finished third in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.
But along with his bouncy personality comes an overabundance of one-on-one mentality and a penchant to play to the crowd. For all of his dynamic athleticism,he also is not a dedicated defender.
Childress was a restricted free agent last season with the Hawks when he signed a three-year, $20-million contract. Tuesday, he informed the Hawks that he willremain in Greece for another season.
The Knicks are monitoring the Carlos Boozer situation with the Jazz. Boozer told a Chicago radio station Tuesday that he expects to be traded, and
the Bullsare reported to have serious interest.
The Knicks aren't believed to be real players in the Boozer talks at this point. That type of scenario may have to involve Robinson, if not restricted freeagent
David Lee. TheKnicks would be more than willing to rent Boozer, who has one year left on his contract, but it is unlikely they would agree to sign him to an extension aspart of the trade.
The interest in Miller started to heat up when word got out that he might consider a one-year offer to go into free agency next summer, when half of the leaguewill have cap space. A person with knowledge of the situation said it is too early yet for Miller, who is seeking $10 million per year, to consider a one-yearoffer at the midlevel exception.
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. I could see him with a BK accent, talking !%#@ up and down the court
