10 big men Rockets GM Rafael Stone should pursue

Houston Rockets target #3: Dewayne Dedmon

Dewayne Dedmon was largely unknown through his first three seasons in the NBA, as he struggled to find a landing spot in the league. Dedmon played on three different teams (Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic) but never played more than 15 minutes per game on any of the three teams, and failed to play at least 60 games in any of his first three stops.

Dedmon’s NBA career took off in 2016-17 when he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs, who were coming off a 67-15 season in 2015-16. The Spurs were also looking to replace Tim Duncan and David West, who combined to play 43 minutes per game and averaged 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds.

Dedmon played 76 games for the Spurs that season, and yielded roughly 18 minutes per night, while making 62.2 percent of his field goals, which was second-best on the team, and posting true shooting splits of 64.5 percent, which was a team-high. Dedmon averaged 10.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes.

Dedmon’s playing time reduced significantly in the Spurs’ 2017 postseason run, as he played just 8.1 minutes per night, but averaged 16.7 points and 17.4 rebounds per 36 minutes, the latter of which was a team-best. Dedmon’s season with the Spurs landed him a two-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks, which paid him $14.1 million, which was the biggest pay day of his career at that point.

The Hawks ushered out Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard, carving out a path for Dedmon to play a significant role. Dedmon averaged 24.9 minutes in 2017-18 and made the most of them, as he averaged 10 points on 52.4 percent from the floor, while also nabbing 7.9 rebounds on the 24-58 Hawks.

Dedmon also developed a 3-point shot, which made him even more valuable, as he made 35.5 percent of his threes on 2.3 attempts per game. Dedmon had another strong showing in 2018-19 with Atlanta, as he averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, while making 38.2 percent of his threes on 3.4 attempts.

In each of Dedmon’s two seasons in Atlanta, he posted true shooting averages of roughly 60 percent, which continued to display his efficiency on the offensive end. Dedmon agreed to terms with the Sacramento Kings on a three-year deal worth 40 million prior to the 2019-20 season, but wasn’t a fit in Sacramento, as he couldn’t crack the rotation and played just 15.9 minutes per night, leading him to get traded to the Atlanta Hawks midway through the season, who were obviously not contending and didn’t get invited to the NBA’s bubble.

Dedmon was later traded to the Detroit Pistons, who waived him shortly thereafter. At just 31-years-old and Dedmon being just two years removed from his Atlanta days in which he averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in his combined two years, while also making 35.8 percent of his threes, Dedmon is easily one of the most quality names remaining on the market.

Next: No. 2