3 Houston Rockets players who won’t be back next season

2. Dante Exum

Amid their bevy of trades this season, the Rockets acquired Exum from the Cleveland Cavaliers in January. But he never did suit up for them, as a right calf injury kept him out of action longer than it seemed likely to initially. But injuries are the story of Exum’s career, unfortunately.

After being drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2014, Exum played all 82 games as a rookie and 66 games the following year. But since then a litany of injuries has kept him from playing more than 42 games in any of the last four seasons (97 games played total), and he only played six games (all for the Cavaliers) this season. It’s been easy to forget he’s even still in the league.

Still only 25 years old (26 on July 12), the Rockets could bring Exum back on a very cheap deal just to see if he can stay healthy at all and offer anything. But amid a roster reshuffle/rebuild, Exum will probably find a similar (or in some ways better?) chance at earning a roster spot elsewhere. Someone might give him a chance, perhaps as a camp invite with an option to go to their G-League team if he doesn’t make the NBA roster. But that someone won’t be the Rockets.