The Rockets have waived third-year forward Sekou Doumbouya, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
The move was expected, as Houston had no plans to retain Doumbouya after it acquired him from the Nets earlier this week. The Rockets obtained an unprotected 2024 second-round pick from Brooklyn in the salary dump. Doumbouya had a guaranteed $3,613,680 salary.
Detroit had high hopes for Doumbouya after picking him in the middle of the first round in 2019. However, he fell out of favor last season after Troy Weaver took over as GM, struggling to get playing time on the rebuilding team. In 2020/21, he averaged 5.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 56 games, including 11 starts.
Doumbouya was dealt to Brooklyn in another salary dump transaction by the Nets (DeAndre Jordan) that netted the Pistons four second-round picks and some cash.
Doumbouya, who is on track to clear waivers this weekend if he goes unclaimed, will now try to find another opportunity in the league.
Houston now has Brooklyn’s first and second round picks in 2024.
Kind of surprised the Rockets wouldn’t take a chance on him given the initial stage of their rebuild. Wonder if he has any sort of character/motor issues or if teams really just have zero confidence in him ever developing, which I would find slightly hard to believe given the challenges he’s had to endure coming over as a project from another country. Then again, NBA GMs know a lot more than you or I know.
They have multiple other (young) players at his positions,and no roster spots
That’s right, the Rockets recently re-signed Dante Exum after he looked really good in the olympics giving them 15 players with guaranteed contracts. They also have Daishen Nix and Armoni Brooks on non-guaranteed deals plus their both of their guys on two-way contracts (Lamb and Bey) leaving no room for another young development player. Even a former first round pick.
And Shea, the initial stage of the Rockets rebuild was last season.
Good points.
Agreed
Who picks him up? If a team in as poor of shape as the rockets can’t try and see if he’s got anything developing, it sort of seems like he’s done in the nba
Thunder , timberwolves , spurs , magic , kings maybe ?
My guess would be Thunder. But he may be better suited playing in France. As a Pistons fan seemed like American culture was a little overwhelming for him. That is my view from a parascope though.
Shanghai
Wizards
What a bust.
I could see the timberwolves giving hun a shot, or maybe the Dallas mavs
I believe he could go back to the Nets in their two-way slot. If he clears waivers without being claimed, his situation would be an exception to the “no reacquisitions” rule.
Not a shocking outcome. Never thought he was much of a prospect, probably ends up overseas. Rockets need high reward players to develop, his ceiling is too low.
Yes he was always potential only, and a response to Giannis’s success. But he’s not big enough for that category. France ahead.
Same as all the guys taken that are the next Kawhi. RIP Zhaire and Nassir.
I did see a reference to Kawhi in a Seku writeup, but nbadraft.net compared him to Tim Thomas & Billy Owens, which was pretty wise. Another fun fact, Seku was the longest-tenured Piston when traded, even though two years seems not very long for a prospect.
Writeups about drafting in general focussing on drafting Africans on a racial basis— whether the writer admits it or not, probably not— wondered if the NBA would catch onto Seku, using Giannis’ draft spot as an example. They did, but the problem is in drafting on physical potential only, not in discerning African/black talent, which is apparent to most. But not the last word on success.
HOU may or may not live to regret this decision, we will see, right?
I hope they do!
Regret cutting a guy who sucks? Not likely. Of a rebuilding team didn’t even want to waste a roster spot on him then it means he must be really bad.