Knicks' Isaiah Roby gets $400K for one day of work

The New York Knicks signed Isaiah Roby to a multi-year contract just before the last day of the season. For that one game, Roby pulled in $400K and he didn't even play a single minute.

$400K per game translates to $32.8 million for the entire season. So Roby, who averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games this year, got paid at nearly the same per-game rate as James Harden and Nikola Jokic.

The reason Roby got so much was so the Knicks could use their vacant 15th roster spot to secure his services for 2023-24. In order to incentivize the 25-year-old big man to sign a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal for next year, the Knicks gave him $400K for this season, even if the season only had a day left, and Roby isn't eligible to play in the postseason.

That $400K is nearly all the money the Knicks had below hitting the luxury tax line. But what were they going to use that money for otherwise? New guitars for owner James Dolan? Kazoos? Instead, they bought themselves a no-risk bargain deal for next season while also doing a favor to Roby's powerful agent, Mark Bartelstein.

It also means that the Knicks will not be using their final roster spot on Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks already have a bunch of offensive-oriented veterans who don't play defense, and there was no reason to add someone else to sit next to Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose on the bench.

Roby's season is officially over, so enjoy these season highlights for the 400,000-Dollar Man.