Royce White Officially Joins Clippers Summer League Roster
Former first-round pick Royce White has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2013-14 season with the Sacramento Kings.
On June 14, he officially joined the Los Angeles Clippers according to Darren Wolfson of kstp.com.
Shams Charnia of RealGM reported on May 28 the Bulls and Pelicans were among teams interested in White before he decided to sign with the Clippers.
The Houston Rockets selected White with the 16th pick of the 2012 NBA draft, but he never actually played for them. He was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and Sean Highkin of ProBasketballTalk noted that “he disagreed with team officials and doctors about how best to manage his condition and refused to be assigned to the D-League.”
Houston ultimately traded White to the Philadelphia 76ers. White was then waived and signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings. While there, he appeared in three games and did not score a single point in his nine minutes played.
Still, White was a walking double-double in 2011-12 for Iowa State and averaged 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and five assists per game. He had guard-like vision from the forward spot, an array of post moves, soft touch on a mid-range jumper and the ability to battle for rebounds on both ends of the floor.
There is certainly room for someone like that at the NBA level, and White believed he would find the right situation prior to signing with the Clippers. "I don't even believe in that, in case it doesn't work out, it's gonna work out, it's gonna work out," he said about a comeback, per KSTP.com on May 22.
Highkin further discussed White’s NBA prospects:
"It will be interesting to see what kind of market there is for White. The Bulls’ interest makes sense, particularly if they hire Fred Hoiberg as head coach, as is widely rumored. White played for Hoiberg at Iowa State. Given how he’s washed out of the league and has developed a reputation as a problem, teams might still be cautious. But talent always wins out — just look at Hassan Whiteside, who had flamed out of the league several years before landing with the Miami Heat this season and becoming an overnight sensation.
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Talent does often win out, and White certainly has plenty of that.
