Assuming they don’t make any further trades, the Denver Nuggets only have one roster spot open, their final two-way spot. Should they pick up Isaiah Roby?
The Oklahoma City Thunder recently waived Isaiah Roby. While the former second-round pick out of Nebraska didn’t light the world on fire, he averaged a consistent 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 21.1 minutes.
Roby shot 44 percent from the 3-point line on a small sample size, only 2.2 attempts per game while hitting over 51 percent of his field goals, and 67 percent from the charity stripe. The free throw shooting should scare anyone who wants to trust his long-range shooting but he shot this efficiently on one of the worst offenses in the league.
For the Denver Nuggets, it’s simply an opportunity to sign a consistent young player to a two-way deal, something that doesn’t come around often. As Keith Smith, Spotrac puts it:
"“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.”"
Roby has proven that he’s better than a two-way contract but since nobody has signed him yet, an offer from a contending team like the Denver Nuggets might be the best.
At 6’8″, Isaiah is essentially locked into playing the backup power forward minutes but he has proven he can stay on the court, guard his position, and knock down shots when they come. As a low-risk signing, he’d at least put some pressure on Zeke Nnaji to perform in a similar role.
Additionally, after signing DeAndre Jordan as Nikola Jokic’s primary backup (I’m assuming Nnaji will be a forward, this might be an incorrect assumption), the second unit needs all the shooting it can get. Roby would be another scoring option on the second unit and another player who could spread the floor for Bones Hyland or a staggered Michael Porter Jr. or Jamal Murray.
There is a scenario where a team gives Isaiah Roby a guaranteed roster spot, not a two-way contract, and Denver would lose the ability to compete there. If he is picking between two-way deals, the Nuggets might be the best option on the market.
Update: The San Antonio Spurs have claimed Roby off waivers per Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN.