Thomas Robinson was a last minute invite to Los Angeles Lakers training camp as he was constantly working out at the Lakers practice facility and the front office was impressed with how hard he worked.
Robinson ultimately defied the odds and made the roster. His minutes would fluctuate throughout the season, but anytime he was on the floor the energy immediately picked up.
Robinson is now an unrestricted free agent and it is unknown whether or not he’ll stay with the Lakers. According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, one team has already shown interest:
The Minnesota Timberwolves expressed interest in free-agent forward Thomas Robinson, according to a league source familiar with the situation.
The Timberwolves are quickly becoming one of the most intriguing teams in the. Western Conference. They traded for Jimmy Butler during the draft and added Jeff Teague in the opening moments of free agency. Bringing in Robinson for frontcourt depth makes a ton of sense for a team that looks like a potential playoff squad.
It is still unsure whether or not the Lakers are looking to bring Robinson back. They obviously love his energy and hustle, but the Lakers have a logjam in the frontcourt. The team’s decision to release Tarik Black is an example of the number of bigs already on the roster.
Assuming second-round pick Thomas Bryant makes the roster the Lakers have 14 players under contract already, leaving three open spots (the addition of 2 two-way contracts per team increased roster size to 17). As it stands the Lakers are likely to be more focused on guard help, shooters, and perimeter defenders to round out the roster.
Robinson is sure to earn a contract somewhere next season as he showed that he is an NBA player. The Lakers might not have room for him, but the Timberwolves would be a great landing spot as well.