2022 NBA free agency: Could Pistons take flyer on former draft pick?

The Detroit Pistons currently have a full roster, but it is still early in the offseason, so it wouldn’t be surprising if there were additional trades and free-agent additions.

The Pistons have a whole lot of big men and not enough shooting, so could look to clear a roster spot or two via waiver or trade in order to address that need.

One name interesting name just hit the waiver wire, a guy who the Detroit Pistons are very familiar with:

The Pistons actually drafted Roby in 2019 before eventually trading his rights for Deividas Sirvydis. Roby is coming off his best season as a professional and may be of interest to Detroit if they end up shuffling their roster.

2022 NBA free agency: Isaiah Roby and the Detroit Pistons

Roby actually started 28 games for the OKC Thunder last season, so I was somewhat surprised to see him waived, but the Thunder had to make room for four incoming rookies, several of whom play the same position.

Roby has good size at 6-foot-8 and can play the power forward position, which is an area where the Pistons need some depth, as they really don’t have one on the team unless you count Saddiq Bey and Marvin Bagley III, who are both tweeners.

Roby averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Thunder last season, while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. He shot 51 percent from the field overall, the type of efficiency the Pistons need, as they were among the worst shooting teams in the NBA last season.

They don’t really have a big who can shoot other than Kelly Olynyk unless you could Marvin Bagley III (I don’t), so adding a stretch four who can defend a couple of spots would give them more flexibility in the rotation.

It would also allow the Detroit Pistons to move on from Kelly Olynyk, as Roby could potentially fill his spot in the rotation for much cheaper. He is still only 24-years-old, so has the type of potential upside that Troy Weaver loves to gamble on in free agency.

Roby really came on late last season scoring in double digits in his last 10 games, including a game against Portland where he had 30 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

As can see from these highlights, Roby has a smooth 3-point shot, but can also score from the inside and make plays off the bounce:

He’s a guy Thunder fans are upset about losing, so could be an interesting addition to the Detroit Pistons, as he fills a need, still has upside and will likely come at a low cost.

If they end up making additional moves to clear a roster spot, he could be a guy who interests Troy Weaver and the Pistons.