The Detroit Pistons passed on the waiver wire…for now

The Detroit Pistons’ roster may not be set just yet, but for now they have passed on adding another player.

Isaiah Roby, a former draft pick of the Pistons whose draft rights were traded, was waived by the OKC Thunder and hit the waiver wire yesterday.

I thought he might be a guy the Pistons would make a play for considering their lack of depth at the forward position, but he was claimed by the San Antonio Spurs.

Waiver order is decided by team record, so if the Detroit Pistons had wanted to make a claim on Roby they would have gotten him over the Spurs, who were in the play-in tournament last season.

Detroit would have had to clear a roster spot, most likely by waiving Saben Lee, which is something they should consider if they can find a guy with more size who can shoot the 3-ball, which is a weakness of Lee’s.

So the question is why the Detroit Pistons didn’t take a flyer on Roby, who seems to be a fit and was there for the taking.

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It’s not like Isaiah Roby was going to be the final piece of the championship puzzle or anything, as he is a guy who has played sparingly in his career, though he is coming off his best season for the OKC Thunder.

But he might have gotten minutes as a guy who can play both forward positions and knock down 3-point shots.

However, the Pistons already signed Kevin Knox, who could potentially fill that role off the bench, and Troy Weaver has shown a preference for guys like Knox in free agency, high end talent that have yet to put it all together.

Kevin Knox was a top-10 draft pick while Isaiah Roby went 45th. Neither of them has done much at the NBA level, but Weaver is taking a chance on talent here and hoping that Knox is just a late bloomer has who another level. Knox came into the league as a teenager and played right away, while Roby spent most of his first season (age 21) in the G-League.

Neither player has done anything yet, so Weaver is just rolling the dice on potential, which makes sense given the state of the Pistons’ restoration.

I probably would have made a play for Roby anyway and let the two battle it out in camp, but the Pistons already committed two years to Knox and may want to invest their resources elsewhere.

The roster is set for now, but as we all know, that could change any minute.