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HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 28: Nene Hilario #42 of the Houston Rockets stands for a moment of silence for the National Anthem before the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 28, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 28: Nene Hilario #42 of the Houston Rockets stands for a moment of silence for the National Anthem before the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 28, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)Bill Baptist/Getty Images

Nene, Rockets Agree on Reported 3-Year, $11 Million Contract

Scott Polacek
Jul 2, 2017

Nene Hilarioย will be returning to the Houston Rockets after agreeing to a reported three-year, $11 million contract on July 2, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.ย 

Nene announced the signing on July 6:

The two sides reached the deal after they had toย adjust due to an unexpected complication in negotiations.

Nene initially agreedย to a four-year, $15 million contract with the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigenย of theย Houston Chronicle, butย Bobby Marksย of ESPN reported those terms were in violation of the NBA's new Over-38 rule. As such, Houston had to drop its offer to three years and $10.9 million, which Nene initially rejected, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

Nene entered the league in 2002 when the New York Knicks drafted him seventh overall, but they promptly traded him to the Denver Nuggets. He played there until Denver traded him to the Washington Wizardsย during the 2011-12 campaign. Nene laced it up for the Wizards over the ensuing four-plus seasons until the Rockets signed him to a one-year contract last summer.

He averaged 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per gameย for Houston during the 2016-17 regular season, serving as one of the Rockets' primary bigs off the bench.

Nene has experienced durability concerns throughout his career and has played more than 70 games just five times, with the last coming in 2010-11. Still, he is a double-double threat who averaged 10 or more points per game throughout the majority of his career:

This past season marked the 10th time Nene reached the playoffs, but he has never played in the NBA Finals. He did play in two Olympics for Brazil and the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

While Nene has never made an All-Star Game, won a gold medal or won an NBA title to serve as a proverbial "peak moment" of his career, he is still going as a consistent, bruising frontcourt presence. After the Rockets' trade for Chris Paul depleted their bench depth, he'll serve as a valuable backup to starting center Clint Capela.

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