Houston Rockets rookie Usman Garuba, the 23rd pick in the NBA draft, has been assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G League, the team announced this week.
The move to send Garuba to the Vipers comes as the 19-year-old has played sparingly to start the season. He is averaging just 1.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 6.4 minutes across seven appearances with the Rockets, playing mostly in mop-up duty.
Garuba will now have the opportunity to see extended playing time with the Vipers, who begin a five-game homestand on Saturday. He could be a candidate to spend much of that stretch with the Vipers in order to get playing time.
Roster Update: The Rockets have assigned forward Usman Garuba to their G League affiliate, @RGVVipers. pic.twitter.com/U58pt1DjLb
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 16, 2021
Garuba was viewed as a strong defender and post player entering the draft. He had a strong campaign last season with Real Madrid, earning EuroLeague Rising Star honors, and will now look to continue his development with Rio Grande Valley.
The Vipers’ contest on Saturday versus Capitanes de la Ciudad de México can be streamed starting at 8 p.m. EST.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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