Nate in Green spells Kryptonite for Dwight Howard and the Magic... maybe.

Just heard the Celtics/Nate Robinson situation getting warmer: Searching for 3rd team to make the deal happen because of N8′s BYC contract.

Knicks will likely secure a draft pick in the Robinson swap with the Celtics. At least that’s the goal here. Eddie House likely in the deal.

UPDATE: The Celtics and Lakers are both involved in talks to acquire Robinson.

Celtics and Lakers are discussing deals for Nate Robinson with the Knicks, sources tell @SpearsNBAYahoo.

EARLIER: The Boston Celtics are close to a trade with the New York Knicks, according to the Boston Herald.  The trade would likely send Eddie House to New York, with Nate Robinson coming to Boston.  As the Boston Globe reports, any trade for Robinson would likely include Boston sending a draft pick New York’s way.

The Boston Herald:

According to multiple sources, the Celtics and Knicks are close to a deal that would bring guard Nate Robinson to the Celts, possibly in exchange for Eddie House. [...]

The Knicks, who are trying to slash their payroll for this summer’s free agent market, are only interested in players with expiring contracts. The Celtics have three players who would match up to Robinson: House ($2.8 million), Brian Scalabrine ($3.4 million) and Tony Allen ($2.5 million).

The Boston Globe:

Because Robinson is a base-year compensation player, the Celtics could only trade back half of Robinson’s $4 million salary back to the Knicks. So the Knicks likely would ask for a draft pick as well as an expiring contract.

Robinson also has extra incentive to play for a playoff contender. He would earn a $1 million bonus if he plays for a team that advances to the playoffs. Robinson, who has trade veto power, would not exercise it for the Celtics and another unnamed team, according to sources.

Interesting that Robinson is set to earn an extra $1 million if he plays for a playoff team, yet is only interested in being traded to the Celtics or one other team.  If I could get an extra mil that easy, I’d be fine with a trade to any team likely to make the playoffs. 

No matter what people say about Robinson, he’s a better player than House.  He can shoot almost as well, is a far better ball-handler, and would add an extra dimension of slashing that House clearly doesn’t bring to the table. 

Plus, he’s not too bad a guy.  He’s only in D’Antoni’s doghouse for being a goofball, such as when he shot at his own bucket AFTER THE BUZZER.  Okay, it was almost before the buzzer, but it was just Nate being goofy.

I was at Knicks training camp last year, and Robinson doesn’t at all seem like a cancer.  Everyone on his team liked him; he’s just a fun-loving guy who likes to enjoy his time on a basketball court.  With the C’s lethargic play of late, maybe they need someone with that kind of boyish exuberance.