Oklahoma City Blue Acquires Former Thunder Wing Andre Roberson

In a surprising move, Andre Roberson will be suiting up in Oklahoma City once again.

Oklahoma City's G League affiliate brought home a familiar face Wednesday. Former Thunder starter Andre Roberson has been acquired by the OKC Blue.

The Oklahoma City Blue has acquired guard/forward Andre Roberson, the team announced today.

— OKC BLUE (@okcblue) February 2, 2023

It was reported last month that Roberson had been practicing with the Thunder's G League squad, but the acquisition itself and his availability to play immediately both come as a surprise. 

He is reportedly available to play against the Austin Spurs on Thursday night, a day after the acquisition. 

The OKC Blue has acquired Andre Roberson and he will be active for the Blue tomorrow vs the Austin Spurs. pic.twitter.com/9veBvCHRqP

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 2, 2023

Roberson spent six seasons with the Thunder and gained a reputation as one of the top defenders in the NBA. In 2016-17, the 6-foot-7 wing was named to the All-Defensive team and was given some of the toughest tasks each night. Roberson averaged 30.1 minutes per game over the course of that season. Ultimately, he played a big part in two conference final runs for the Thunder.

The defensive stopper received the worst injury news possible during the 2017-18 season, when he ruptured his patellar tendon. He missed 30 total months of basketball and was sidelined for two full seasons.

Roberson has since played in the NBA for the Thunder and the Brooklyn Nets, but sparingly. Since his injury, he's played in just 12 games and seemed to be out of the NBA before his comeback surfaced Wednesday.

Oklahoma City's defense as a team has been on the rise as of late, and while it's unreasonable to expect Roberson to contribute in the NBA again, having his voice and leadership around can't hurt. The Thunder has developed a culture by bringing former players back, and while Roberson may have some juice left in the tank, his presence around the organization is a good thing in general.

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