Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press
The Atlanta Hawks and well-traveled power forward Thomas Robinson reportedly reached an agreement on a non-guaranteed contract Monday.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the news.
Robinson, 27, last played for Russian team BC Khimki after failing to land an NBA contract last season.
He never lived up to expectations after the Sacramento Kings selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft. That’s why he’s spent time with six different organizations across his first five years as a professional.
His overall numbers for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17—5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game—remained mediocre across 48 appearances.
That said, his per-minute impact showed signs of improvement. He shot 53.6 percent from the field, a career-high mark, and his player efficiency rating ranked 17th among qualified power forwards, ahead of marquee names like Dirk Nowitzki and Draymond Green, though his overall impact was smaller.
In April 2017, Robinson told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News changing his mindset to accept his role was a key step:
“I am an energy and hustle guy. That’s what I do. That’s my niche. That’s what I wake up and go in the gym and work on. That’s me. I am always going to be that player. I’m always going to be the best. I’ll be a star in my role. I don’t want to be the next Kobe [Bryant], LeBron [James] or prove I can score 30 points. I want to be established in my role and help my other teammates get off on their shots and rebounds and extra plays and things of that sort. That’s my commitment this summer to get my IQ better with the game and to lock in and become an All-Star in what I do and that’s filling the energy player.”
It’s often difficult for a former collegiate star to make that type of statement. But Robinson, who earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors with Kansas in 2011-12 for averaging 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, has benefited greatly from his refined approach.
Now the forward is on the move to Atlanta. Although sticking with one team for a more extended period of time would be ideal given the constant change he’s endured so far in his career, role players usually don’t stay anywhere for too long.
The biggest question is what type of niche he’ll carve out with the Hawks. He’ll likely start camp battling for one of the team’s final roster spots.
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