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Brooklyn Nets Denied Chance To Sign Thomas Robinson As Philadelphia 76ers Claim Him Off Waivers

By Kenneth Teape

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After what many said was a poor trade deadline for the Brooklyn Nets, they looked like they were catching a break when Thomas Robinson was bought out by the Denver Nuggets. Robinson and the Nets had a deal in place for him to come aboard once he cleared waiver Tuesday at 5 PM ET. Well, it would seem that the Nets poor luck will be continuing, as Robinson was claimed shortly before the 5 PM deadline.

This time the team to thwart the Nets was the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. This one has got to hurt the Nets, as it is the second time in the last week a team swept in less than an hour prior to a deadline and took a player right from under their noses; last week the Nets thought they had a deal in place with the Oklahoma City Thunder that would have shipped Brook Lopez out of town for a package highlighted by Reggie Jackson before the Utah Jazz came in at the last second with a package revolving around Enes Kanter that the Thunder ultimately accepted.

Robinson’s role with the Nets was not yet clear, but the Nets obviously saw something in the former No. 5 overall pick to want to bring him into the fold. He would have been lucky to receive the 20.3 minutes per game that Kevin Garnett was averaging before being traded for Thaddeus Young prior to the trade deadline last week. One reason being that Young is a better player, and the Nets already have a player with the same skill set essentially in Mason Plumlee. It would have been interesting to see where Robinson fit in, but alas we will not see that happen, at least for now, as Robinson will instead be heading to Philadelphia.

This is a peculiar move by the 76ers, but one they had to make. They made the move so that they would be within 90 percent of the NBA. There is a chance that Robinson could be waived once again later on, but for now the 76ers will have a chance to evaluate the former Kansas Jayhawk and see if he’s worth keeping around. It is hard to believe that he will be, as the 76ers traded two of the brighter spots on their roster in Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels at the trade deadline, and even dangled this past year’s first round draft pick Joel Embiid in exchange for a lottery pick.

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Landing with the 76ers will undoubtedly be better for Robinson in terms of playing time and showcasing his abilities. For as crowded as the Nets front court is, the 76ers is open. The only real threats to playing time for Robinson in Philadelphia is the recently acquired JaVale McGee, Nerlens Noel, Luc Mbah a Moute and Henry Sims. Noel is the only player that will be given a definitive amount of minutes every night, so Robinson has a chance to play real minutes for the first time in his career. He could even find himself in the starting lineup next to Noel, as there is very little competition on the 76ers for minutes.

While this is more than likely a better landing spot for Robinson, the Nets nonetheless have to be disappointed in what has prospired. To have an agreement in place that Robinson broke by tweeting last night, the Nets obviously had something in mind as how to use him. They will have to wait though to put that plan to use, as Robinson will be facing off against the Nets sooner than he will be suiting up for them, as the 76ers and Nets will be playing against each other March 14th in Philadelphia.

Next: What Lessons Did We Learn From the Nets First Half?

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