ROBINSON UPDATE

Alan Hahn - NEWSDAY

Nate trade to Celtics 'close'; McGrady update
13 m ago By Alan Hahn

At this point, with less than 24 hours until the trade deadline, at least one scenario amid the endless chatter involving the Knicks is reaching the reality stage. According to multiple sources, Nate Robinson is headed to the Boston Celtics in a deal that is in the finalization stages.

Robinson posted an Eminem lyric on Twitter earlier today:

N wen I'm gone just carry on don't mourn rejoice every time u hear da sound of my voice (word aapp)

As we reported in Tuesday's paper and followed up again Wednesday, the Celtics maintained a strong interest in Robinson and engaged the Knicks in trade talks. The deal could include a player such as Eddie House going to New York in return, though I was told by a source that House wasn't a given in the deal at this point (I also heard the Celtics were trying to get a third team involved to help make the trade work) and it definitely sounds like a draft pick -- the key element -- will be part of the package going to New York.

The Knicks would prefer it to be a first-rounder to either make up for the loss of this year's pick (which goes to Utah as result of the Jan. 2004 Stephon Marbury trade) or perhaps 2011 or 2012 to potentially cover including their own pick in the offer with the Houston Rockets for Tracy McGrady.

Meanwhile, that situation remains very much unpredictable at this point. The very public gamesmanship on this front has been amazing, with varying reports from all agendas. One report had Rockets sources are claiming they have decided not to trade Tracy McGrady, which is incredibly premature and not even close to anything I've heard.

While it's certainly possible that nothing happens with McGrady, we've maintained all along that this will go up until the trade deadline at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The Knicks obviously don't want to pay the hefty price of Jordan Hill, swapping a first rounder in 2011 and then giving up an unprotected 2012 just to clear Jared Jeffries' $6.8M off the cap. And they certainly don't want to do it if there is no other real competition. From what I know, Walsh is trying to lottery protect those picks so we don't have another Eddy Curry Trade situation (unprotected first rounders in 2006 and 07 went to the Bulls, who drafted Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas) here again.

And trust me when I say that the knowledge that Utah has the Knicks' first-rounder this year as a result of the Stephon Marbury trade from 2004 does not sit well in the offices at 2 Penn Plaza.

So it's really up to the Rockets to decide if they want to get anything or nothing before McGrady comes off their payroll on June 30. The Knicks are willing to give up something, but not everything if they don't have to.
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Source: Knicks close to dealing Nate »
BY FRANK ISOLA NY DAILY NEWS

A deal that would send Nate Robinson to Boston is "getting close" according to a person close to the negotiations.

The proposed trade would have Eddie House returning to the Knicks but the deal is complicated by the fact that Robinson's salary does not match with House's deal. Other players, draft picks and/or trade exceptions may have to be included in the deal.

If the Knicks get a first-round pick out of the Celtics that could help them in their pursuit of Tracy McGrady. The Houston Rockets want first-round picks and in the proposed deal with the Knicks, Donnie Walsh would be sending Houston a 2012 first-round pick. The two teams would also flip flop first-round picks in 2011.

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Robinson-to-Celtics may happen Wednesday

By A. Sherrod Blakely
CSNNE.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — CSNNE.com has confirmed that the Boston Celtics have had discussions recently about a trade that would send New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson to Boston.

The potential trade was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Although the particulars have yet to be completely agreed upon, Boston will include at least one player with an expiring contract (Eddie House, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine are the possibilities) to New York. A future draft pick or cash are likely to be included as well.

If the C's were to pull the trigger on such a deal, it would likely be done sometime Wednesday.

That would allow Robinson, who did not travel with the Knicks to Chicago for Tuesday's game due to what team officials described as the flu, to join the C's in time to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Robinson signed a one-year, $4 million deal this past summer with the Knicks. Because he's a Base Year Compensation player, the Knicks can only take back a contract up to 125 percent of his previous year's salary (plus an additional $100,000) or half of his current salary, whichever is greater. Last season, he made $2.02 million, which means New York can only take back a contract worth no more than $2.6 million.

The only Celtic player that the C's can trade straight-up for Robinson, is Tony Allen who is in the final year of his deal that pays $2.5 million this season.

However, a league source indicated that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni would prefer House, who played for D'Antoni in Phoenix, to be included in the deal.
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A. Sherrod Blakely can be reached at sblakely@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sherrod on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sherrodb
Robinson trade awaiting league approval

The latest Twitter entries from A. Sherrod Blakely:

bullet.gif Nate Robinson deal close to being completed. Has yet to get approved by the league's attorneys. Should be completed sometime today.

bullet.gif Nate's BYC status complicates this trade. House makes about $200K too much for straight-up trade.

bullet.gif That's why this deal may not get done until the 11th hour, if at all.

On his Twitter account, Robinson seems to think he's headed to Boston:

bullet.gif N wen I'm gone just carry on don't mourn rejoice every time u hear da sound of my voice(word aapp)