The Houston Rockets hope to retain 25-year-old big man Bruno Caboclo, according to a new report from Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
“The Athletic understands that the organization is invested in him and would like to have him going forward,” Iko writes.
With the Rockets subject to a hard salary cap after the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood, they are presumably unable to offer Caboclo more than the NBA’s minimum salary. Thus, it makes sense for Caboclo to take his time with free agency, in hopes of seeing if any larger offers materialize (or ones with an easier path to playing time) before settling for a minimum deal as an end-of-the-bench option in Houston.
New for @TheAthleticNBA:
Your second Rockets offseason notebook: Talking all things Demarcus Cousins, a salary cap primer, trades to increase wiggle room, other signings, and more https://t.co/pCOoOdpnx1
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) November 24, 2020
Caboclo, who is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, played only sparingly after being acquired by Houston at the February trade deadline. The athletic big man was also limited by a knee injury upon his arrival.
However, the Rockets did express optimism about Caboclo’s long-term future, and he could have a better opportunity to make an impact if he’s with the team from the outset of training camp. If re-signed, Caboclo could be a viable backup option at power forward and center behind veterans such as Wood, P.J. Tucker, and DeMarcus Cousins.
After being selected No. 20 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Caboclo finally got his first extended opportunity in 34 games with Memphis late in the 2018-19 season. In that stretch, Caboclo averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, and he shot 36.9% on 3-pointers.
Should the Rockets re-sign Caboclo, that’s the form they hope he recaptures for the upcoming 2020-21 season.
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