MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 03: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 of the Oklahoma City Thunder fouls Jaylen … [+]
On Monday, the Houston Rockets announced three minor personnel moves: the conversion of guard/forward Nate Williams’ contract to that of a two-way contract and the waiver of forwards Darius Days and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
The big surprise was Houston waiving Robinson-Earl, acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Kevin Porter Jr. (and two second round picks). While that trade was primarily made to dump Porter, who is facing criminal charges, some believed that Robinson-Earl could possibly serve as a useful piece in a thin Houston frontcourt. It was not to be. The Rockets, facing a roster crunch, opted to stay with veteran center Boban Marjanovic over Robinson-Earl. While veteran guard Victor Oladipo, who was also acquired in the trade for Porter, does not figure into Houston’s short term or long term plans, his expiring $9.45 million contract serves as a useful piece for potential trades closer to the deadline; that is to say, Oladipo was never a candidate to be waived even though he will likely never crack the Rockets’ rotation.
Williams’ contract was converted to that of a two-way contract. Under Article XXIX of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, a two-way player is placed on his team’s active list or inactive list while the two-way player is providing services to the NBA team; he is on the two-way list at all other times. Further, for each two-way player a team places on its active list or inactive list, the minimum and maximum roster size limits set forth in the collective bargaining agreement are increased by one player for that team.
One of the major changes in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement is the increase of two-way roster slots from two to three players per team. While this will provide opportunities for more younger players to showcase their abilities, it is also a concession from veterans in the player’s union as the increase will jeopardize jobs for veterans.