A fresh haircut, a healthy knee, and a fourth country in three years. That’s what summer’s brought Raptors 905 standout Ronald Roberts so far, with the Saint Joseph’s product agreeing to join Tofas Spor Kulubu of the Turkish Basketball League this week.
The deal, which will pay Roberts a reported $400,000 net of taxes (roughly equivalent to a guaranteed NBA minimum), came together quickly. Roberts was slated to join the Milwaukee Bucks for Las Vegas Summer League this week, but the overture from Tofas, which came with an Inspector Gadget-like expiry date, was too good to pass up.
“I was in Milwaukee working out with the Bucks. I did like three sessions and my agent hit me up and he basically said ‘This offer’s on the table,'” Roberts told Raptors Republic on Tuesday. “He felt like I could make the NBA – I agree with him – but I just couldn’t miss some security.”
Security was a word that kept coming up talking to Roberts. The 24-year-old played back-to-back seasons in the D-League, which is a reasonable career gamble but one that limits the financial upside of being a professional basketball player. Salaries top out at $25,500, and even with a $75,000 partial training camp guarantee from the Raptors last season (which followed a strong Summer League showing), Roberts left a fair amount on the table the last two years, including an offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv in the middle of last season.
Roberts opted for a second tour of the D-League because he felt he had “a foot and a half” in the door of the NBA. Kicking that door the rest of the way open remains his goal, and while his new deal doesn’t have an NBA opt-out clause, he doesn’t see a year overseas hurting his chances in the long run.
“I still feel very confident in my ability to play in the NBA,” Roberts said. “I’m on a lot of teams radars still, I could have played with Milwaukee in Summer League, and stuff like that. A lot of teams were still interested. I feel like I did a lot here in the States, me going over there for eight or nine months isn’t gonna make me fall off their radar.”
He’s probably right. Already in the last week, multiple players have been signed out of international leagues, some of whom played stateside before heading abroad. In Bursa, Roberts will get the opportunity to play a major role for a Tofas team that just earned it’s way back to the Super League after a year relegated in the TB2L. (Interestingly, he’ll also join fellow Dominican-American Sammy Meija, a 2007 second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons and himself a former D-Leaguer.)
Roberts brings some experience being one of the best players on a team looking to make its mark essentially from scratch. Unquestionably the best player on Raptors 905 this season, he averaged 18.1 points on 61.7-percent shooting, while adding 12.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks for the expansion 905 (and he averaged 17.5 points and 11.9 rebounds the season prior, too). Based on his performance, the lack of an NBA call-up was almost astonishing, and his performance wasn’t based solely on athleticism, either. While the 6-foot-8 Roberts is an obscene athlete, he also greatly improved his footwork and patience in the post, made strides as a passer, and extended his range out close to the 3-point line (he even hit a corner three in the All-Star Game). He’s a steady defender in a man-to-man or help scenario, and few players outside the NBA boast a better rebounding resume. The 905 outscored opponents by 20.1 points per-100 possessions with Roberts on the floor, a far cry from their minus-2.1 PPC mark overall, and Tofas will be looking for the same type of impact.
Part of the reason Roberts didn’t get the call was a nagging knee injury that required a PRP injection to help speed up healing. While he’s got nothing left to prove at the D-League level – at one point he was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the league – the timing of that setback was the latest in a string of NBA obstacles.
“I went through some bumps in the road. I figured taking this offer will put me in good standing for the league next year,” Roberts said. “To be honest, the reason I took this deal, is because the business side of the NBA wasn’t working in my favor. I feel like I can play in the NBA, I feel like I have enough talent, my work ethic is there, everything is there. It’s just the business side, for my two years, I’ve had bad luck with the business side. That kind made me lean toward taking this offer.”
The bad luck he refers to includes not only the injury, but the Raptors opting to take a failed flier on Anthony Bennett with a roster spot Roberts was fighting for, then and the Philadelphia 76ers calling him up the year prior only to waive him before he got into a game. Through all of it, Roberts has maintained confidence, and he was a positive presence around the 905 through to the end of the season, even when he couldn’t suit up.
The Raptors thought highly of him, but drafting Pascal Siakam in the first round meant major minutes would already be committed to a power forward in Vegas. Roberts harbors no hard feelings for that reality, and the organization’s feelings toward him are reciprocated.
“I loved it. I had a great time over there. Great people over there. The coaches, front office, everyone. When I was in training camp the players were really cool, and when I went down to the D-League, everyone was great,” Roberts said. “It definitely showed me a lot. I learned a lot while I was over there. Toronto’s a great city and I think Canada’s just a great country. To be honest, Toronto, being there, I would put it in my top-three cities that I’ve been to.”
And maybe there will be a chance for a return somewhere down the line. The skater-turned-baller should be on the radar for any numbers of teams this time next year, and with obvious NBA talent, a healthy knee, and a major opportunity in front of him in Turkey, he may get that last half a foot in the NBA’s door yet.
