The Houston Rockets brought in free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute for a workout on Wednesday, according to The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko.
Mbah a Moute has not played for an NBA team this season, so he would be eligible for the playoffs, if the Rockets were to sign him. The recent March 1 deadline was for players on other teams to be waived, in order to maintain playoff eligibility for their new team.
Best known for his defense, the versatile 6-foot-8 forward played 25.6 minutes per game with the Rockets in the 2017-18 season. He averaged 7.5 points, including 36.4% on 3-pointers. Houston went 65-17 as a team that year, which was by far the best mark in franchise history.
Mbah a Moute had a 101.7 defensive rating with the 2017-18 Rockets, which was best on the team among consistent rotation players.
But Mbah a Moute dislocated his right shoulder twice during that season, with the second incident occurring in the second-to-last game. That injury limited his availability and effectiveness in the playoffs.
Then, after signing with the Clippers before the 2018-19 season, a knee injury limited him to only four games. Now 33 years old, Mbah a Moute hasn’t played with any team in 2019-20, which means he’s played in just four NBA games over the last two seasons combined.
Thus, between the normal aging curve for an NBA player and his own personal history with injuries, it’s not clear whether Mbah a Moute is still the same player physically as he was two seasons ago. That could explain why the Rockets brought him in for a workout, as they try to gauge.
If healthy, Mbah a Moute seems to be an ideal fit for the frontcourt emphasis of the Rockets (39-21), who are prioritizing versatile defenders such as P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington ahead of traditional centers.
Houston’s roster is completely full at the moment with 15 players, so if Mbah a Moute were to be signed, someone else would need to be released. However, based on their moves at the trade deadline, they could release a player and sign Mbah a Moute while still staying beneath the luxury tax. As a result, it’s unlikely to be a financial decision.
It’s primarily a matter of how much Mbah a Moute still has left, physically. The answer is unclear, but the move by the Rockets to bring him in for a workout shows that they’re curious to find out.
