Amidst the carousel of free agent visitors and the noisy negotiations with David Lee's agent, we rarely hear about Nate Robinson. According to Alan Hahn's scoop from Nate's recent talks with the organization, that's because he's waiting quietly for his chance to stick around:
Nate Robinson wants to remain a Knick, even though the team appears to be looking at several alternatives to having him return as the third guard in Mike D'Antoni's rotation. Robinson was present for a phone conversation with his agents and Donnie Walsh on Wednesday and understands that the Knicks are in hot pursuit of restricted free agent Ramon Sessions.
And if the Knicks land Sessions -- it seems inevitable -- than Robinson is aware he would likely be the odd man out in the equation.
One of Robinson's confidants told me that the popular 5-9 guard "made it clear to Donnie and the organization that he wants to be there" and that his stance right now is to "wait patiently while they sort through whatever they need to."
First of all, I've located the aforementioned confidant, and was able to confirm that Nate wants to be a Knick (and also something about "ramburgers"). My feeling from this is that Nate's Knick patriotism is something valuable. For all the knocks on Robinson's demeanor, such unwavering loyalty is a serious sign of character. The cynic in me says this isn't so much loyalty as it is an agent resigning to the weak market and coaching his client wisely (as opposed to Lee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, who's remained bullish against the odds). It's probably a little of both, but I appreciate Nate's fortitude despite Donnie Walsh's flirtation with just about every point guard on the market (and let's be honest, they weren't even hot ones). After four years, it's becoming clear that Nate Robinson works better as a reserve spark plug than as a starting one or two. If Hahn's story is any indicator, maybe Robinson has accepted that role and is willing to be paid accordingly. If that's the case, Nate might very well get his wish to stay a Knick for the foreseeable future.