To comply with NBA roster rules, the Houston Rockets are signing veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract, as first reported by Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
After their trade deadline moves and subsequent buyouts, the Rockets had dipped below the league’s required number of 14 players on standard contracts. Monday was the deadline to comply, and Stone chose to do so by rewarding Cauley-Stein, an NBA veteran who has played for Houston’s G League affiliate this season.
A 7-foot-0, 240-pound center, Cauley-Stein has averaged 9.4 points (64.5% FG, 35.7% on 3-pointers), 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
The Houston Rockets are planning to sign center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract, sources tell me and @KellyIko. Cauley-Stein, a seven-year NBA veteran, has spent the season with Rockets‘ Rio Grande Valley G League affiliate.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 27, 2023
Now 28 years old, Cauley-Stein was the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NBA draft by Sacramento and has previously played seven NBA seasons.
Statistically, Cauley-Stein’s best years came in his original NBA home, Sacramento. In a two-season span from 2017-18 through 2018-19, Cauley-Stein averaged 12.3 points (52.8% FG), 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game.
Cauley-Stein has drawn raves from people in the organization all season, especially as a locker room presence https://t.co/tSzbciaP6x
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) February 27, 2023
