Isaiah Roby Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Release Diakite, Goodwin, Roby, Washington

October 21st, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have waived Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr., the team announced (via Twitter).

Diakite, Goodwin and Roby were all signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, which means they could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days the Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate in Westchester.

Washington, on the other hand, was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract. That means he would not be eligible for a bonus if he clears waivers and plays for the Westchester Knicks in 2023/24.

All four players have NBA experience, but were unable to make the Knicks’ regular season roster. Diakite, a 6’9″ forward/center who was born in Guinea, has appeared in 49 NBA games with the Bucks, Thunder and Cavs over the past three seasons.

Goodwin, 28, is a 6’0″ point guard who played 133 regular season games with the Nuggets, Hawks and Cavs from 2018-22. He was out of the league last season.

Roby, 25, spent most of last season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.

Roby signed a multiyear contract with the Knicks on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season that was non-guaranteed for ’23/24. He was recently cut, cleared waivers, and re-signed; now he has been waived again to secure his Exhibit 10 bonus.

A 6’3″ guard who went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021, Washington spent the past two seasons with the Pacers, Suns and Knicks on two-way deals. He never actually played a game for New York, which waived him in July before re-signing him to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.

By waiving the four players and converting Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, it appears as though DaQuan Jeffries and Ryan Arcidiacono may have made the Knicks’ opening-night roster. Both players were on non-guaranteed camp contracts.

New York is now down to 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

Knicks Re-Sign Isaiah Roby To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 21st, 2023 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

After clearing waivers on Friday, free agent forward/center Isaiah Roby has re-signed with the Knicks on an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Roby signed a multiyear deal with New York on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The 25-year-old spent most of last season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. He spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.

Roby’s multiyear contract was non-guaranteed for 2023/24, but he remained in camp with the Knicks as he vied for a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. By waiving him on Wednesday, New York signaled that he wouldn’t claim one of those spots, but bringing him back on an Exhibit 10 deal suggests the team wants to keep him in its system. Roby is eligible to be named an affiliate player for the Westchester Knicks in the G League.

If Roby had been owed more than $75K in guaranteed money when he was cut by the Knicks, he would’ve been ineligible to play for Westchester, but his salary was entirely non-guaranteed.

He’ll likely be waived again later today, putting him on track to join New York’s G League team, where he’ll receive a $75K Exhibit 10 bonus if he remains with the club for at least 60 days. The Knicks have a pair of two-way slots available, but Roby is ineligible for a two-way deal due to his four years of NBA experience.

Isaiah Roby, Jaylen Martin Waived By Knicks

October 18th, 2023 at 4:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have waived forward Isaiah Roby and swingman Jaylen Martin, the team announced (via Twitter).

Roby, 25, signed with New York on the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. He spent most of the season with the Spurs, appearing in 42 games and averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per night before being released in early March. Roby spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City.

Martin signed a two-way contract with the Knicks this summer after going undrafted out of the Overtime Elite League. His departure leaves New York with an open two-way slot as the others are currently held by Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler.

Roby got into two of the team’s three preseason games and averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG. Martin made one three-minute appearance during the preseason.

Neither player had any guaranteed money for this season, so the moves won’t cost the Knicks anything. The team is down to 19 players on its roster, with 12 fully guaranteed contracts.

Atlantic Notes: Udofia, Raptors, White, Porzingis, Knicks

August 1st, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, have named Mfon Udofia as head coach, according to a league press release. Brooklyn’s intent to hire Udofia for the G League club was previously reported.

“We’re pleased to welcome Mfon to the Nets family,” Long Island Nets GM J.R. Holden said. “His passion for the game and dynamic coaching style have prepared him to lead our development team on Long Island. Our organization is excited to support Mfon and his staff as they lead the next generation of talent this upcoming season.”

Udofia spent last season as an assistant coach with the Ontario Clippers in the G League. He had prior stints with several other NBAGL franchises.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors may not be done dealing, but The Athletic’s Eric Koreen examines how the rotation might shake out if the roster remains unchanged. Koreen believes either Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes must be on the court at all times for play-making purposes and either OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. need to be on the floor for shooting purposes. He also doesn’t see lottery pick Gradey Dick as a member of a nine-man rotation, given the team’s other commitments.
With Derrick White the undisputed starting point man with the Celtics, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss breaks down how a pick-and-roll partnership between White and Kristaps Porzingis can unlock the team’s full offensive potential.
Miles McBride, Jericho Sims or Isaiah Roby could force their way into the Knicks’ rotation, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes, though if coach Tom Thibodeau goes with his usual nine-man rotation, minutes will be hard to come by for that trio. Katz looks at various lineup combinations and which starter might play with the second unit when the usual four reserves are on the floor.

Knicks Rumors: George, Barrett, Hart, Embiid, Roby, Quickley

July 6th, 2023 at 12:28pm CST by Rory Maher

On June 22, the night of last month’s draft, the Knicks contemplated sending the Clippers a trade package that featured Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and three first-round picks in exchange for star forward Paul George, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

When New York later agreed to trade Toppin to the Pacers for a couple second-rounders, the Clippers briefly brought up RJ Barrett to take his place in the aforementioned trade framework, says Scotto. The Knicks balked at that proposal, believing the asking was price too steep for George, who will make $45.64MM in 2023/24 and is eligible for an extension this offseason, per Scotto.

The Knicks control multiple protected first-round picks from other teams, so it’s unclear whether the first-rounders Scotto mentioned were protected in some fashion or were their own unprotected picks. Either way, apparently the talks didn’t advance.

Still, the Knicks remain on the lookout for a third star to complement Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, according to Scotto.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Josh Hart will sign a long-term extension with the Knicks in August once he becomes eligible. His maximum extension number would be $81MM over four years, and Begley hears the veteran wing will receive “slightly less” than that figure. It seems highly likely that Hart exercised his player option in order to give the team more financial flexibility in free agency, with a handshake agreement on an extension.
Begley hears from sources who say the Knicks haven’t budged on their asking prices for star players on the trade market, including Damian Lillard and James Harden, and both players are unlikely to wind up in New York. Like Zach Lowe of ESPN, Begley continues to hear the Knicks might be eyeing Joel Embiid in the future.
Prior to using their mid-level exception to sign Donte DiVincenzo, the Knicks were interested in several unrestricted free agents, including Bruce Brown, Max Strus and Yuta Watanabe, Scotto states. Brown signed with the Pacers; Strus landed in Cleveland via sign-and-trade; and Watanabe signed with Phoenix.
Losing Toppin means New York has rotation minutes available at backup power forward. Scotto hears Isaiah Roby will be given an opportunity to win the job, with Hart an option in small-ball lineups. Roby signed with the Knicks on the last day of the ’22/23 regular season, receiving a significant upfront payment ($400K) that suggested he could be in the team’s future plans.
Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Immanuel Quickley‘s floor in a rookie scale extension is expected to be $20MM annually, and Scotto’s sources say the Knicks would consider a deal in that range. However, if the two sides don’t reach an agreement and Quickley continues to improve next season, Scotto says New York might contemplate using him as part of a trade package for a star.

Knicks Sign Isaiah Roby To Multiyear Deal

April 9th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

11:05am: The Knicks have officially signed Roby, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

9:32am: Roby is getting $400K for the last day of the 2022/23 season, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). If he had received a minimum-salary deal, Roby would have been paid just $10,932 for the day, but New York was able to give him significantly more than that using a leftover portion of the team’s room exception.

Roby’s minimum salary for next season will be non-guaranteed, Katz adds.

8:40am: The Knicks have agreed to sign forward/center Isaiah Roby to a contract that covers the rest of the season and runs through 2023/24, agents Zach Kurtin and Mark Bartelstein tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski reports that the deal includes “significant” guaranteed money. It’s unclear whether that money will apply to this season’s cap hit (using the remainder of New York’s room exception) or if a portion of Roby’s ’23/24 salary will be guaranteed.

Roby, 25, spent most of the season with the Spurs after being claimed off waivers from the Thunder last summer. He was released just over a month ago when San Antonio needed a roster spot to accommodate its addition of Sandro Mamukelashvili.

In 42 games (11.3 MPG) this season as a Spur, Roby averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per night, with a shooting line of .432/.300/.488. He was more effective in 2021/22 in Oklahoma City, averaging 10.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .514/.444/.672 shooting in 45 appearances (21.1 MPG) for the Thunder.

As we noted earlier today, the Knicks entered Sunday as one of three teams with a 15-man roster spot open, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Roby. The Lakers and Rockets are the other two teams that still have openings on their standard rosters.

Because Roby was waived on March 3, he won’t be eligible to participate in the playoffs this spring.

Spurs Waive Isaiah Roby, Claim Sandro Mamukelashvili Off Waivers

March 3rd, 2023 at 4:35pm CST by Rory Maher

4:35pm: San Antonio has officially waived Roby and claimed Mamukelashvili, the team announced. The Spurs immediately converted Mamukelashvili to a standard contract, and their 17-man roster is full.

4:15pm: The Spurs plan to waive forward/center Isaiah Roby and will claim big man Sandro Mamukelashvili off the waiver wire, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

There is a corresponding move that is missing from Charania’s report, however, as Roby is on San Antonio’s 15-man roster, while Mamukelashvili was on a two-way contract with Milwaukee.

The Spurs’ two-way are currently occupied by forwards Dominick Barlow and Julian Champagnie, so they will either need to promote or waive one of those players, or perhaps immediately promote Mamukelashvili — we’re not sure yet if that’s permitted.

Ironically, the Spurs claimed Roby off waivers last summer, and now will reportedly release him to add another player off waivers. His name did pop up in one trade rumor prior to the deadline, which signaled that San Antonio may not have viewed him as a long-term keeper. He is currently sidelined with an ankle injury that has kept him out of action since February 13.

Roby, 25, spent his first three seasons with the Thunder, averaging a combined 9.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .495/.365/.708 shooting in 109 games (62 starts, 21.9 MPG) with Oklahoma City. As previously mentioned, San Antonio claimed him off the waiver wire last offseason, but his role has been pretty limited in 2022/23, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.5 RPG on .432/.300/.488 shooting in 42 games (11.3 MPG).

Assuming he clears waivers, the Spurs will be on the hook for Roby’s full $1,930,681 salary and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Mamukelashvili, 23, was waived a couple days ago by the Bucks. A report at the time suggested that another team might be interested in his services, and now he will reportedly land with San Antonio.

After spending four college seasons at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili was selected 54th overall in the 2021 draft. He has spent the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Bucks, but his playing time was very limited at the NBA level — he averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .439/.345/.750 shooting in 65 games (9.6 MPG) from 2021-23.

The big man played much more for the Wisconsin Herd in ’22/23, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate. He averaged 19.5 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.3 SPG on .533/.200/.667 shooting in 11 Showcase Cup games (30.9 MPG), and 23.3 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .486/.471/.667 shooting in four regular season games (36.5 MPG).

Moore’s Latest: Pelicans, Spurs, Warriors, Nuggets, VanVleet, Vanderbilt, More

February 7th, 2023 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

The latest trade intel column from Matt Moore of Action Network is packed full of tidbits about the upcoming deadline, including some details on which players a handful of Western Conference teams have made available.

According to Moore, the Pelicans – in the market for another shooter – have made players like Jaxson Hayes, Devonte’ Graham, and Naji Marshall available, while the Spurs are discussing Isaiah Roby in addition to previously reported trade candidates like Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. Perhaps most interestingly, Moore says the Warriors consider Jonathan Kuminga “off limits,” but have been willing to discuss youngsters James Wiseman and Moses Moody.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets – who have put second-year guard Bones Hyland on the trade block – are seeking another wing and have their eye on players like Bulls guard Alex Caruso, Clippers guard Terance Mann, and Pacers swingman Chris Duarte, Moore writes.

Here’s more:

The Magic, who have previously been cited as a possible free agency suitor for Fred VanVleet, have “real” interest in the Raptors point guard, reports Moore. While VanVleet is thought to be available at the trade deadline due to his uncertain contract status beyond this season, one executive told Moore that trying to get a deal done with Toronto is “like blood from stone.”
There’s a growing belief that forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be on the move this week even if the Jazz don’t get the first-round pick they’re seeking for him, according to Moore, who suggest the Trail Blazers may be the frontrunner to land Vanderbilt.
Two league sources tell Moore that the Cavaliers have contacted the Hawks to inquire about Bogdan Bogdanovic. While there’s no indication those talks went anywhere, it’s worth noting Caris LeVert‘s $18.8MM salary is a near-perfect match for Bogdanovic’s $18MM cap hit.
Recent strong play from Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has reduced the odds that he’ll be traded before Thursday’s deadline — the belief is that he’ll remain in New York, per Moore.

Texas Notes: Roby, Bates-Diop, Fernando, Silas

October 9th, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Forward Isaiah Roby has been a fan of the Spurs‘ organization since childhood, reports Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. After the fourth-year power forward was waived by the Thunder over the summer, San Antonio claimed him off waivers.

“[The Spurs] were the team my grandpa really liked watching,” the Dixon, Illinois native said. “… Ever since then, I’ve had an interest in the Spurs and the way they play basketball.”

Roby was initially drafted with the No. 45 pick out of Nebraska by the Pistons. The Mavericks traded for his draft rights later that summer. He suited up for the team’s G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, before being flipped to the Thunder in January 2020. He averaged 10.1 PPG on .514/.444/.672 shooting splits in 45 games during his 2021/22 season with Oklahoma City. The 6’8″ forward also contributed 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

According to McDonald, Roby was apparently surprised to be waived by the Thunder during the offseason. In San Antonio, he joins another rebuilding effort that features plenty of intriguing young prospects, with presumably more to come in the next few seasons. The Spurs have liked what they’ve seen from Roby so far.

“He is really more skilled than I was expecting, and he’s a little bigger than I expected,” head coach Gregg Popovich observed. “He handles himself really well.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop is in the running for the last open spot on San Antonio’s standard 15-man roster, having turned in solid performances in two preseason games as a starter, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald notes that Bates-Diop may start tonight against the Pelicans in the team’s third preseason contest after averaging 9.5 PPG in the first two. “His game improves with every increase in his confidence,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s why he’s still here.” Though Bates-Diop may not ultimately start for the Spurs, McDonald predicts he’ll remain in San Antonio through opening night, thus guaranteeing he gets paid his full $1.9MM salary. “Whether you just signed a new deal or you’re on a one-year or whatever it is, you should always feel like you’re battling for it,” Bates-Diop said. “You don’t want to get too comfortable.”
The Rockets front office is excited about the fit of 6’9″ fourth-year center Bruno Fernando as a rim-runner, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Iko notes that Fernando becoming a lob threat will open up the downhill offensive games of starting guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green.
Rockets head coach Stephen Silas has yet to clear the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman adds (Twitter link) that assistant coach John Lucas, acting as the team’s head coach while Silas remains ill, has expressed optimism that Silas will clear protocols and be able to travel later to join the team in Miami for its next preseason game.

Rockets Notes: Frontcourt, Tate, Gordon, Martin

July 7th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Whether or not they hang onto Boban Marjanovic, the Rockets would like to add one more big man to their roster, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who says the club may use a two-way contract slot to add more depth up front. Trevor Hudgins currently occupies one of Houston’s two-way slots, but the other is empty.

Iko names Moses Brown, Freddie Gillespie, Bruno Fernando, and Mfiondu Kabengele as players who could be of interest to the Rockets as they look to add another frontcourt player.

According to Iko, Houston had some interest in Isaiah Roby after he was waived by Oklahoma City, but the Spurs ultimately claimed him off waivers. The Rockets were ahead of San Antonio in the waiver order and had a trade exception available to claim Roby, but they already have 18 players on guaranteed contracts for 15 spots, so they likely weren’t eager to bring in another.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

The $500K annual bonus in Jae’Sean Tate‘s new three-year contract are tied to the Rockets winning at least 35 games, Iko reports. So Tate would earn an extra $1.5MM if Houston wins 35 or more games in each of the next three seasons.
The Rockets were close to trading Eric Gordon on draft night, possibly to the Sixers, but the deal fell apart, according to Iko, who says the Heat, Bucks, and Suns also pursued Gordon before the draft. Sources tell The Athletic that Philadelphia re-engaged Houston on the veteran shooting guard at the start of free agency, but there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll be moved before the season begins.
The Rockets aren’t in any rush to trade Kenyon Martin Jr. either, says Iko, noting that Martin may “need to mend some internal relationships” if a trade doesn’t materialize and he remains in Houston.