Nate Robinson, Thunder Working On Buy-Out, According To Report

Falgoust reports that the team was working on an agreement to release Robinson before the NBA lockout hit in July. Robinson has just one season and $4.5 million remaining on his deal. Robinson played in just four games for Scott Brooks’ Thunder after being included in the midseason Kendrick Perkins-Jeff Green trade in February.

If Robinson is bought out in the traditional way, most of that $4.5 million contract would remain on the Thunder’s salary cap sheet. Assuming NBA rules on buy-outs do not change in the new collective bargaining agreement, and assuming that Oklahoma City does not use the amnesty or stretch provisions on Robinson’s small deal, the Thunder would see 50 percent of any new NBA contract a waived Robinson signs for this season removed from that $4.5 million cap hit. (So if a buy-out is reached and Robinson signs a one-year, $2 million deal with another team, his cap hit on the Thunder would be for $3.5 million.)

The central aim of a buy-out is to decrease the actual salary paid out; the Thunder would be assumed to be asking Robinson to forfeit some of his owed salary to be released so that he can sign with a team that will let him play.