(Editor’s note: We are conducting individual reviews of all players from the Houston Rockets who finished the 2021-22 season with the team. To access other reviews as part of this ongoing series, click here.)
Rockets Player: David Nwaba, 6-foot-5 wing, 29 years old
2021-22 statistics in Houston: 5.1 points (48.3% FG, 30.6% on 3-pointers), 3.3 rebounds in 13.2 minutes
Professional Experience: 6 NBA seasons
Contract Status: Under contract for 2022-23 at $5.0 million; team option at $5.4 million for 2023-24
After averaging nearly 23 minutes per game in 2020-21 and becoming a rotation piece for Stephen Silas when healthy, Houston re-signed Nwaba in 2021 free agency to a two-year deal with a team option for a third year. However, Nwaba found his average minutes slashed by nearly 10 per game, and he fell out of the rotation for large stretches of the year.
Nwaba, who is respected for his defense and leadership, is beloved in Houston’s locker room and referred to as “Uncle Dave” by some of his younger teammates with the rebuilding Rockets.
