Rockets waive two-way guard whose return could remind fans of an infuriating era

As the Houston Rockets attempt to sort out the end of their roster with little cap flexibility, everyone tapped into their current financial shortcomings certainly did not expect any sort of splash move, or even a shimmer, to seriously occur before the start of the season.

Yet, as the Rockets have announced that they have waived both Daishen Nix and Caleb McConnell from the active roster today, likely with the intention of adding them to their G-League squad in the coming days, fans might be reminded of a darker time in the organization.

Nix, 23, spent his first two season in the NBA in Houston, rejoining the organization last season after beginning the year on a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the Rockets stand in need of backcourt depth, they must hope that Nix does not end up needing to be the solution this year.

Daishen Nix's return is not a major signing, but it could draw some ire from fans

Even before starting point guard Fred VanVleet went down with an ACL injury in a team mini-camp late this offseason, there was serious reason to be concerned with this team's backcourt depth.

Now that some combination of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard will take over these duties, however, Houston desperately needs at least one of its depth guards to step up and take on significant minutes this season.

While Aaron Holiday is the most likely candidate, reigning G-League MVP JD Davison has gotten significant run this preseason and has looked rather dynamic on the offensive end. It is possible that Nix's eventual signing could mean Davison will get a serious shot at playing at the NBA level, and it remains to be seen how head coach Ime Udoka will approach doling out the minutes to be claimed in that area of the rotation this season.

Fans, however, might remember a time where the team did not have this luxury. Between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season, Nix averaged 14.5 minutes per game, scoring 3.7 points per game and posting a rough 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio during those minutes.

While it is not entirely a reflection of Nix's game, fans, understandably, hold a lot of aversion to that era of Rockets basketball. In those seasons, under Stephen Silas, Houston was undeniably one of the worst teams in basketball, posting 20-62 and 22-60 records, respectively. With Nix as the backup point guard in 2022-23, the Rockets had one of the most infuriating backcourts in the league, led by Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

While he hasn't quite returned to the NBA roster, it appears as though Nix will be sticking around Houston's organization for now, and fans must try not to be reminded of a bygone era as Nix returns yet again.