New York Knicks: The 2010 trade to unload Nate Robinson

This next edition of New York Knicks Trade History looks at the 2010 deal that sends Nate Robinson out of town.

As the New York Knicks moved toward 2010 NBA free agency, they unloaded long-term pieces. One of them was Nate Robinson, who, as a young scoring presence, had value for other teams, including contenders for the 2010 NBA Finals.

So, before the 2010 NBA Trade Deadline struck, the Knicks sent Robinson to the Boston Celtics, ending his four-plus seasons in the Big Apple. He led a five-player deal that changed the look of both franchises.

What the Knicks traded

Robinson was the obvious headliner of this trade. Only 25 years old at the time of the move, he left when returning for the 2010-11 season seemed impossible, given the direction the Knicks were taking with payroll.

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Robinson played 26 games with the playoff-bound Celtics, averaging 6.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting from behind the arc. He also contributed to the NBA Finals, but the Celtics lost that series to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston was Robinson’s home for the first 55 games of the 2010-11 season, but he moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kendrick Perkins, in a deadline move for Jeff Green and other pieces.

Marcus Landry was the only other piece included. He appeared in just 17 games for the Knicks, and the Celtics played him once for three minutes.

What the Knicks acquired

New York’s returning package did not provide any long-term pieces, which was necessary for their aforementioned path towards 2010 free agency.

JR Giddens, a former first-round pick, made 11 appearances with the Knicks. It became his final run in the NBA.

Henry Walker actually stuck with the Knicks for parts of three seasons, mostly playing off the bench, although he received 13 starts upon arrival and averaged a career-high 11.9 points.

Walker was only depth in New York, and he went two seasons without playing once his Knicks career ended. He last appeared in an NBA game in 2014-15, for the Miami Heat.

Eddie House was a featured bench player on Boston’s title-winning team in 2008. In 18 games for the Knicks, though, he shot 33.1 percent and 25 percent from behind the arc.

Finally, a 2014 second-round pick, which was top-55 protected, never conveyed.

This deal, for what it returned to the New York Knicks, was rightfully lost in franchise history. The most it did was provide Walker, a bench piece, for some time. Otherwise, it was forgettable.