The Spurs have used a waiver claim to add Isaiah Roby to their roster, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein was the first to report (via Twitter) that there was a “strong expectation leaguewide” that Roby would be claimed on the waiver wire.
As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report previously noted, Roby earned more than the minimum salary in the first year of his four-year contract with the Thunder, so the Spurs will have to use some of their cap space to absorb his $1,930,681 salary for 2022/23. Waivers claims are rare for non-minimum players, but Roby has shown some promise, so San Antonio will be taking a relatively cheap flier on him contributing next season.
In his third season with the Thunder in ’21/22, the 6’8″ Roby averaged a career-best 10.1 PPG along with 4.8 RPG on .514/.444/.672 shooting in 45 games (21.1 MPG). Oklahoma City had previously picked up his club option, but then the Thunder waived him before his contract would have become fully guaranteed. Because his salary guarantee deadline was July 3, his $1.93MM will now be fully guaranteed.
The Spurs recently agreed to sign Gorgui Dieng and now added Roby, so clearly adding frontcourt depth was a priority with their final roster spots. Once all of San Antonio’s first-round picks are signed to their rookie deals (only Blake Wesley has been signed thus far, but the other two should be formalities), the Spurs will tentatively have a full 15-man roster.
Even accounting for the new additions, the Spurs still have well over $30MM in cap room this offseason, so they have plenty of options to work with going forward.
Why did OKC release him?
Okc did spurs/roby a solid. They were gonna let him go as a F.A. Spurs likely contacted okc and said they wanted him at the option and not as a F.A. As that would be more expensive.
So okc picks up his option and releases him so the spurs get him at that cost. Cost okc nothing and gets Roby a guaranteed roster spot on a tanking team so he gets p.t. To get another contract in 2023.
Why would okc do that lol that’s not what happened. Okc released him because clearly they either didn’t see a fit or path to playing time for him on next years team. So they cut him to save the money. They wouldn’t just do the spurs a solid, they would have asked for something in a trade like a second round picks or draft rights to a overseas player or even cash.
link to thunderousintentions.com
Had no path to playing time in okc. So why did they even bother picking up his option then if they were gonna cut him and save money? That doesn’t answer your part at all. I at least explained why. It locked in his salary for 22-23 which the spurs were willing to pay.
Okc has too many rookies and JRE and he wasn’t going to play much here.
Why there wasn’t a trade….I don’t know. However releasing him for money saving purposes makes zero sense right after picking up the option.
Makes no sense. He was solid. Could’ve traded him at the deadline or something.
To many players with guaranteed contracts!
“a “strong expectation leaguewide”” and at HR and comments.
Spurs have gained size, drafting Sochan, signing Roby & Dieng, trading Dejounte but not Poeltl… or maybe that is coming, if they are to lose properly. Hate to say it.
If Silver wants his midseason trny to mean anything, make it be about draft slots. It would have to be a complicated arrangement, to overcome players tanking individually if they feel insecure about their jobs.
Do not give Silver any more dumb ideas
Was really hoping the Bulls would use some of their expiring trade exception to sign him. Would of been just what they needed. Don’t know where they fit on the waiver order but I assume the Spurs were before them.
Spurs we’re 8th on waiver. Think it went by last years record. Worst to first
Chet is killing the Jazz
Damn…well, the Spurs have really addressed their areas of need. Still disagree with moving Murray, and also not getting more for him, but theoretically, they have pieces at the guard spot, and now have depth in the other areas.
Really wish the Heat could have ended up with Roby, but their trade exception is 50k short of being able to make the waiver claim, not that he would have made it to them amhway
Okc has multiple players at his position, but its still surprising to see them just get rid of him for nothing