Lakers now have a dream young free-agent targets thanks to Thunder
By Jason Reed
Editor’s update: Isaiah Roby was claimed by the San Antonio Spurs.
The Los Angeles Lakers made four signings on the first day of free agency and have not yet made any moves as NBA front offices celebrate Fourth of July weekend. An impending Kevin Durant trade (as well as a potential Kyrie Irving trade to the Lakers) is slowing everything down. The Lakers do still have work to do in free agency.
After failing with mostly veterans last season, the Lakers have shifted course and have brought in youth this offseason. All four of the free agents that the team signed are under 30 and two of the four are under 25. Some might not seem like great fits (looking at you, Lonnie Walker IV), but the youth movement is promising.
Finding quality young free agents for the minimum is really hard and while there were some existing options on the market already, the Lakers may have just gotten a dream free-agent target from the Oklahoma City Thunder. With OKC needing to trim down the roster, the team waived young forward Isaiah Roby.
The Los Angeles Lakers should already be calling Isaiah Roby to sign him in free agency.
Isaiah Roby is likely going to be available to sign for the minimum considering the Thunder could not trade him to get him off the roster. If he was worth more than the minimum then some team likely would have traded a second-round pick for him. But nobody bit.
That does not take away his value as a player, though. While teams are focusing on the big fishes in free agency, the Lakers can reel in a fantastic value signing that has the kind of impact in LA that Malik Monk had last season.
The 24-year-old forward averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.1 minutes per game last season with the Thunder. Roby played in 45 games, shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.4% from three on 2.2 attempts per game.
Roby was one of just 12 players in the NBA last season to shoot 50% from the field and 40% from three with at least 900 minutes played. The Lakers need that efficiency.
Roby fits in perfectly with what the Lakers need to add, whether they have Russell Westbrook or Kyrie Irving. The team needs a true backup four after not having one last year and Roby is just that. Los Angeles is also looking to add youth this season, making Roby even more appealing.
He helps space the floor, which is something that is definitely needed if Westbrook is in town, and he is someone who could be on the court with Anthony Davis if Davis is playing the five. He is not a menace defensively, but he did post a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus in each of his last two seasons, meaning he is a slightly above-average defensive player.
As far as we are concerned, signing Roby is an absolute no-brainer for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. The team just has to hope that another team does not swoop in and steal him away.