The recent context clues were indeed accurate, with veteran guard Dante Exum reportedly on his way back to the Rockets. Exum was on Houston’s roster last season as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade, but he never actually played in a game due to a calf injury.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Exum is nearing a deal to rejoin the team. In the aftermath of Houston’s decision to part ways with John Wall, The Athletic’s Alykhan Bijani reported Tuesday that the Rockets had held discussions of late with free agent point guards, including Exum. Now, it appears that those talks have resulted in an agreement.
At the moment, Houston has a completely full offseason roster of 20 players, and the agreement not to play Wall does not clear a roster spot. Thus, for an Exum signing to be finalized, the Rockets would have to let a current player go. As of late Tuesday, it was not clear who that would be.
Free agent guard Dante Exum is nearing a deal to return to the Houston Rockets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Exum played in only 24 games last season, but has returned to full health and averaged 9 points and 2.8 assists in Australia’s Bronze medal run in Tokyo Olympics.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 15, 2021
A 6-foot-5 guard, Exum was the No. 5 pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He was a dynamic perimeter defender over his years in Utah and Cleveland, and at 26 years old, he’s still young enough where that talent could carry over to a stint with the Rockets. Exum’s recent performance at the Tokyo Olympics was well received and may have helped convince NBA teams that his health issues are in the past.
Financial terms of the potential agreement are not clear. However, based on Exum’s lack of health and playing time in the 2020-21 season, it would be a surprise if there was a large amount of guaranteed money.
As @ShamsCharania mentions in the story, the #Rockets have held discussions with free-agent point guards in the marketplace in recent days. This includes Dante Exum. https://t.co/i8WdXZ6ett
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) September 14, 2021
