Houston Rockets claim center Deyonta Davis off waivers

The Houston Rockets made their first of what could be many offseason moves, claiming big man Deyonta Davis off waivers.

After coming up short of a trip to the NBA Finals once again, the Houston Rockets are expected to make some roster upgrades this summer. About two weeks ago, reports surfaced that the Rockets made the entire team, except for James Harden, available in trade talks.

There haven’t been any concrete rumors of a blockbuster trade yet, but the Rockets are still making small moves. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Houston claimed center Deyonta Davis off waivers.

Davis, who weighs in at 237 pounds and stands at 6-foot-11, has played in the NBA for three seasons after attending college at Michigan State. The former Spartan was taken with the 31st overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.

Davis got his start in Memphis the following season, appearing in 36 games and averaging just 6.6 minutes. He played for the Grizzlies again the following season before spending a year with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018-19 season, appearing in just nine games.

Houston will likely lose Nene to retirement and they could lose Kenneth Faried, who fit in well with  the Rockets last season, to free agency. Not to mention, reports indicate that many within the Rockets organization believe that at least one of Clint Capela, Eric Gordon or P.J. Tucker will not be with the team next season. Capela has yet to enter his prime and he’s on a more team-friendly contract than Chris Paul, so any major trade Houston makes will likely be centered around the big man.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Daryl Morey wants to add depth at the center position. Deyonta Davis likely won’t get big minutes with Houston, but it’s great to have another center in the bag just in case.