When Andre Roberson entered Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, it had been more than 900 days since he last set foot on an NBA court, and things sure have changed.
On January 27, 2018, Roberson suffered a torn left patellar tendon, and in his absence, nearly the entire Oklahoma City Thunder roster had turned over. It’s quite remarkable considering the fact that under Sam Presti, the franchise has become one of the NBA’s models, with its hallmarks beign competency and consistency.
Still, along the way, the cost-conscious Thunder have had to make difficult decisions, the most recent being to part with their MVP-caliber talents in Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Interestingly enough, though, when Roberson took the floor on Friday, only two players who were with the team on the day he got injured remained. It’s remarkable considering it was just over two years ago.
The two: Steven Adams and Terrance Ferguson.
Here’s an accounting of what’s become of the other active-roster teammates Roberson had flanking him the last time he played in an NBA regular-season game.
- Russell Westbrook: The franchise player was traded to the Houston Rockets in July 2019 in exchange for a package consisting of draft picks and the rights to Chris Paul.
- Paul George: Wanting to return home to Los Angeles to team up with Kawhi Leonard, George requested a trade and was dealt to the Clippers in July 2019 in exchange for a package of draft picks, as well as the rights to Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Carmelo Anthony: After just one season in Oklahoma City, Anthony was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a multi-team trade in July 2018. The principal piece the Thunder got in exchange was Dennis Schroder. Anthony is currently a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Jerami Grant: In July 2019, the Thunder traded Grant to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a top-10 protected first-round draft pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
- Patrick Patterson: After two seasons in Oklahoma City, Patterson was waived in August 2019 before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, for which he currently plays.
- Raymond Felton: Felton’s one-year deal with the Thunder expired in July 2019. He is not currently on an NBA roster.
- Nick Collison: Collison spent his entire 14-year career with the Thunder franchise, having been drafted by the club as the Seattle SuperSonics in 2003. He moved with the team to Oklahoma City where he spent the final 10 years of his career before announcing his retirement in May 2018.
- Alex Abrines: Abrines was drafted by the Thunder in 2013 but wouldn’t make his way to the NBA until 2016. He was waived by the club halfway through his third season. He would head back to his native Spain after signing a two-year contract with FC Barcelona.
- Josh Huestis: After three years in Oklahoma City, Huestis was not re-signed by the club when his final contract expired in July 2018. He subsequently signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the San Antonio Spurs and split time in with the Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin, Texas before taking his talents to Germany to suit up for FC Bayern Munich.
- Dakari Johnson: In July 2018, Johnson was traded by the Thunder to the Orlando Magic, who then traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies. He would be waived by the Grizzlies before taking his talents to China. Johnson currently played for the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.
So, yes, it’s safe to say that a lot has changed for Roberson since the last time he took the floor.