Nets Rumors: Andre Roberson Agrees to Contract After Norvel Pelle Waived

The Brooklyn Nets and free-agent forward Andre Roberson reportedly agreed to terms on a contract Tuesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Roberson's signing came in conjunction with the Nets announcing that they waived center Norvel Pelle.

The 29-year-old Roberson will embark on his seventh NBA season if and when he appears in a game for the Nets and spent his first six NBA campaigns as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Roberson was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft out of Colorado, and after playing a limited role as a rookie, he was a key contributor over the next four seasons.

During that stretch, Roberson appeared in 255 games and started 253 of them. His best season came in 2016-17 when he averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.0 assist and 1.0 block per contest in 79 games.

Roberson was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team that season and seemed to be on the ascent.

He appeared in 39 games the following season, but a ruptured patellar tendon cut his year short, and complications from that injury caused him to miss the entire 2018-19 season.

Roberson returned to appear in seven games for OKC last season, averaging 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest.

In Roberson, the Nets are landing a veteran player with 26 games of playoff experience, which could come in handy since they have designs on a deep postseason run behind the superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.

Brooklyn could also benefit from Roberson's defensive acumen, as the team ranks 28th in the NBA in points allowed at 117.7 per game.

The Nets' defensive issues have largely contributed to their inconsistency this season, as they are 17-12 despite leading the NBA in points per game at 121.4.

Brooklyn is now in the midst of a three-game winning streak and trails the Philadelphia 76ers by just 1.5 games for first place in the Eastern Conference, although it comes on the heels of losing three of its previous four games, including defeats at the hands of the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

The Nets need more effort and consistency on the defensive end and as a whole, and while Roberson may not necessarily be a game-changer, he can contribute in areas that have been deficiencies for Brooklyn this season.