No one expected much from Thomas Robinson when the Los Angeles Lakers signed him to a non-guaranteed deal just before training camp began. His energy and work ethic allowed him to beat the odds, however, and make the 15-man roster.
Anytime Robinson has been on the court for the Lakers he has provided nonstop rebounding and energy which has satisfied head coach Luke Walton. Robinson’s minutes have fluctuated throughout most of the season, however, and he has rarely seen the floor recently as the Lakers have focused on developing their young players.
The Lakers are Robinson’s sixth team in only five years in the NBA, and according to Mark Medina of the OC Register, he would really prefer not to have to find a seventh this off-season:
Because of that help, Robinson said he will “do anything possible I can to stay a Laker” once he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“I’m trying to build my family here […] I would love to be here for a few years. Just be somewhere for a while.”
Robinson admitted that he would like to be playing more, but credited Walton with helping him develop and mature this year. While he isn’t thought of as part of the young core, Robinson is only 26 years old. It makes sense that he would want to find a permanent home after jumping around for most of his career so far.
To his credit, Robinson has always been ready to play whenever Walton calls his number, which is usually when the Lakers are playing with very little energy and heart. Most recently, Walton inserted Robinson as the Lakers fell behind to the Los Angeles Clippers. Robinson responded with 16 points and six rebounds in only 10 minutes.
Whether the Lakers choose to retain him remains to be seen, but he has proven what he can do on the floor. If he comes relatively cheap, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka could decide to keep him around.