The New York Knicks have waived forward Isaiah Roby and undrafted two-way rookie Jaylen Martin, per the NBA transactions log.
The Knicks employ only 12 players on guaranteed contracts, three short of the maximum, so this meant Roby had a lot of competition regarding position battles at training camp. With five other non-guaranteed contract players, it was known that multiple players on the preseason roster were going to be cut.
As was the case for rookie Martin, whose two-way contract looks like it could now belong to either scoring threat Duane Washington Jr. or the versatile defender Jacob Toppin, each of whom is currently on a training camp contract.
When talking about making the final cuts to the roster, Tom Thibodeau said, via Fred Katz of The Athletic: “It’s really true. It’s going to be a difficult decision. That’s how close they are. They’ve all done a terrific job.”
Roby, 25, was drafted in the second round with the 45th pick in the 2019 draft. From 2020-22, Roby started in 62 out of 106 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.
Despite providing adequate production, the 6-foot-8 Nebraska standout was let go by the Thunder last season and subsequently picked up off waivers by the Spurs, where he averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds. Coming off a good preseason of scoring eight points in 13 minutes for the Knicks, there are certainly teams around the league that will be interested in Roby, who could be a viable stretch-four option.
Martin, 19, is 6-6 and signed a two-way deal with the Knicks after going undrafted. In this year’s summer league, Martin averaged 13 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and one steal in 30 minutes per game.
Neither Roby nor Martin were on guaranteed contracts, so there will be no money owed by the Knicks. To point out, the team will still have reductions to make in the week ahead, as there are 19 players on the current roster, with only 12 fully guaranteed contract slots to fill.
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