In an effort to create cap space in order to be able to give Dwight Howard a max contract, the Houston Rockets have been searching desperately for teams to take bad contracts off their hands. They found a partner on Friday evening in Philadelphia. The Houston Rockets have sent their former first round selection, Royce White, to the 76ers for future draft considerations. White played his college ball at Iowa State, and was the 16th overall pick by the Rockets in 2012. He never played a single game for them.
White was an exciting player to watch in college, as he possessed a rare combination of size, speed, and strength. His size (6'8" 260 lbs) is comparable to LeBron James' (6'8" 250 lbs), and his style of play also mimics that of the four-time MVP. During his sophomore season at Iowa State, White showed great versatility, averaging 13.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 5.0 apg. This versatility is what made him a first round talent. Many scouts believed he may have been a top 5 pick if it were not for his anxiety issues.
White has been very open about his struggles with anxiety and, in many ways, these struggles have gotten the best of him both on and off the court. White voiced his displeasure throughout the season with how the Rockets handled his disorder, and he did not play any basketball at all until February when he finally debuted for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League. In 16 games played (8 starts) White averaged 11.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 3.3 apg in just over 25 minutes per game. Once again, White's versatility was on display.
Sam Hinkie was part of the decision-making process to draft White in Houston, and apparently he still supports that decision. This move offers a low risk, high reward option for the Sixers in the future. If they can figure out how to handle White's mental health condition and get him to play consistently, then he could be a valuable asset on both ends of the court. However, if White continues to suffer from anxiety to the point where he cannot play basketball anymore, the Sixers can release him without suffering any significant cap hit.
The Sixers should make some more moves in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned Sixerdelphia!
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