Spurs Claim Free Agent Power Forward Off Waivers

It seemed like an odd move when the Oklahoma City Thunder waived power forward Isaiah Roby on Sunday, only four days after picking up his $1.9M option. He was actually waived before that contract became fully guaranteed. 

Someone is going to waiver claim Isaiah Roby and get a good player virtually for free.

51/44 shooting splits. Some boards, some blocks. Can score some too. Worth claiming for sure for several teams.

OKC has more tricky roster decisions coming too. Downside of a million picks.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 3, 2022

It turns out that it's the San Antonio Spurs who get that "good player virtually for free" as NBA cap expert Keith Smith wrote. 

The Spurs claimed Isaiah Roby on waivers, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 5, 2022

The Spurs are now being lauded for the shrewd pickup. 10 point-per-game scorers can rarely be found on such a minimal contract, and with the Spurs tearing things down, there's certainly room for Roby to make an impact on this roster. 

The 23-year-old was a second-round pick for the Detroit Pistons in 2019, but has spent his three-year career with the Thunder. This past season was his best as a pro, as he registered averages of 10.1 points, and 4.8 rebounds in just 21 minutes per game, along with nearly one block and one steal, as well as shooting threes at a 44% clip (albeit at only 2 attempts per game).

A bit undersized as a power forward, at 6'8", and he's not noted as a great perimeter defender. But he's certainly a nice add for the price. And the Spurs will still have over $35M in cap space. 

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