Andre Roberson is coming off one of his most brilliant seasons as a perimeter defender and another shining playoff series despite a quick exit against the Houston Rockets. With many offseason questions looming about his return to the team, the 25-year-old wing could be looking to re-sign with the team very soon, according to GM Sam Presti.
“Every indication we've had from Dre and from his people, his agent, is that he loves playing here,” Presti told Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. “And I've always said this to everybody before: When the player shows an interest in being here, it really exponentially helps your opportunity to get a contract done, if you would like to.”
Roberson saw a career-high year of 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, but propelled his game to another level in the playoffs, posting 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds through five games against the Rockets.
“We need them to be fair with us,” Presti said. “We have to be fair with them and try to find a common ground.”
Roberson's defense has been instrumental to the team this season, but due to being offensively-challenged, he can only garner a contract that makes sense for a defender in an offense-based league.
Naturally, a player that can score the ball and defend his position could seek a much more lucrative deal — but in his case, he's likely to have to make concessions in order to remain with OKC.
Brooks' promise to find his All-Star guard Russell Westbrook some better pieces still stands, and if that means coming at Roberson's expense, it likely will be.
The Colorado product is an restricted free agent, allowing the Thunder to potentially match any offer for his services. He also could pull a DeMar DeRozan and sign a new contract with the team without accepting an offer sheet from any other team.
Presti noted that another team's offer sheet “decreases the chances” of re-signing a free agent.
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