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Summary

Roberson has struggled with injuries the last season two seasons, as he hasn't played since January of 2018. However, Roberson was able to make a return in the Orlando bubble. When healthy, Roberson was one of the best defenders in the league, and was a major part of the 2016 Thunder that gave the Warriors all sorts of problems. However, his shooting ability greatly hinders his value on offense. Roberson is essentially a non-factor from anywhere outside the paint. Interestingly, Roberson's field goal percentage at the rim as led to him having an above-average eFG% each year of his career, accordingly to Cleaning the Glass.

 

Despite his shortcomings on offense, Roberson can provide real value due to his defensive ability. If you surround him with enough talent that he doesn't kill your offense, Roberson's negatives on that end can be overcome by what he brings on defense. Due to his health concerns, it's unlikely Roberson will get much interest this offseason, especially considering he did not show much in his brief playoff minutes.

 

Cap Considerations

Roberson will be an unrestricted free agent with full Bird rights. As his cap hold ($20.4 million) exceeds the salary he will get in free agency, his cap hold is not really relevant. If the Thunder re-sign Roberson, his cap hold will be replaced by his starting salary, and the Thunder may still have some cap space available depending on his salary and what happens with their other free agents.

 

If Roberson is brought back by the Thunder on a multi-year contract, they could benefit from frontloading his contract, as it could give them additional flexibility in the future. Other teams will have multiple ways to sign Roberson, as even teams without cap space could possibly use any of the Non-Taxpayer, Taxpayer, or Room Mid-Level Exceptions to sign him. There's also the likely scenario that Roberson only gets minimum offers this offseason.

Potential Teams: Hawks, Celtics, Warriors, Pelicans, Mavericks

Predicted Contract: 1-year, $2.2 million ($1.6 million cap hit) with the Hawks

Actual Contract: N/A

Last updated: 12/31/2020

As of the start of the regular season, Roberson remains unsigned.

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