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Back in 2013, Andre Roberson was selected with the 26th overall pick of the NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, although the then 21-year-old was quickly signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At this point, Roberson was seen as a player for the future, although the youngster was handed a number of opportunities in his rookie year due to injuries, and by 2014, Roberson had firmly established himself as a starter.
During his five years in the league, Roberson has become well known for his ability to make defensive stops, and the Thunder boast one of the best defensive records in the NBA when he is on the court.
Nevertheless, Roberson has missed more than a year through injury, and the Thunder have successfully managed to compete without their defensive star. Evidently, Roberson could still have a future in Oklahoma City, although, here, we will look at three reasons why the organization should consider trading him this summer.
#1 Lack of cap space
While the Thunder's move to sign Paul George to a long-term deal last summer was a masterstroke, it also left the franchise with one of the largest payrolls in NBA history. Due to this, the Thunder will have issues paying free agents the salaries that they desire, and the organization's prospects of adding any major additions in the summer currently look bleak.
The Thunder won't be willing to move their highest earners such as Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams, and Paul George, however, Andre Roberson falls into the expendables category.
The defensive stopper will earn more than $10 million for the 19/20 season, an amount of money that if freed up could allow the Thunder to target a reliable three-point shooter. Ultimately, Roberson's salary may be better served being distributed to other areas of the roster, and Sam Presti will have a tough call to make in the summer.
#2 Offensive Liability
While there is no doubting that Roberson is one of the premier defenders in the NBA, his offensive ability is an entirely different story. The 27-year-old's best offensive season to date was the 16/17 season in which he averaged 6.6 points per game, although, for his career, Roberson is averaging less than 5 points per game.
Roberson has also struggled from both beyond the arc and the free throw line. He is shooting at just 25% for his career from three-point range, and his free throw percentage has progressively followed a downward trend, plummeting from 70% in his rookie year to just 32% last season.
Due to Roberson's struggles from the line, the power forward has often been targeted in big games, with opposing teams intentionally fouling him. Billy Donovan usually responds by subbing Roberson out, leaving the Thunder without their best defensive player, and this is evidently a problem the team needs to solve.
#3 Emerging Youngsters
When Roberson went down injured at the beginning of 2018, the Thunder faced a major issue in replacing him. Corey Brewer eventually filled in for Roberson during the final 17 games and subsequent playoff series against the Utah Jazz, although after Brewer left in the summer, the Thunder were once again left searching for a new wide man.
This time Roberson's replacement came from within, in the form of second-year player, Terrance Ferguson. The 20-year-old averaged just 12.8 minutes per game as a rookie, although Ferguson has started 58 times this season, averaging 6.8 points per game.
Rookie, Hamidou Diallo has also impressed during his 11.2 minutes per contest this season, and there is no doubting that Roberson will have a fight on his hands to regain his place in Donovan's starting lineup.
Ultimately, the Thunder may benefit from going all in with their young duo, as if given the opportunity to play and develop, both Ferguson and Diallo have the potential to become excellent two-way players.
