Rockets waiving Bruno Caboclo to clear roster spot for Harden trade

As part of the blockbuster trade sending James Harden to Brooklyn, the Houston Rockets are taking in Victor Oladipo from Indiana, Dante Exum from Cleveland, and Rodions Kurucs from the Nets.

In terms of roster spots, that amounts to three players coming in and only one going out, which would put the Rockets over the NBA’s limit. Thus, someone else would have to go for the trade to be legal, and it appears that someone will be 25-year-old big man Bruno Caboclo.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets will waive Caboclo on Thursday before finalizing the trade.

Caboclo, who re-signed with Houston in the offseason, had only played in mop-up duty since the return of veteran center DeMarcus Cousins from quarantine. Between Cousins, starter Christian Wood, and smaller lineups featuring either Jae’Sean Tate or PJ Tucker in the middle, there didn’t seem to be a path for Caboclo to crack Stephen Silas’ rotation. At 6-foot-9 and nearly 230 pounds, Kurucs might also fit into that equation.

In six appearances this season, Caboclo averaged 2.8 points (47.1% FG) and 2.3 rebounds in 6.0 minutes. His minimum salary would not have been fully guaranteed until February 27, so Caboclo’s release also helps the Rockets stay beneath the hard salary cap and luxury-tax thresholds.

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