NBA, Players Association Rescind Part of Nene's 2-Year, $20M Rockets Contract
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association reportedly ruled the two-year, $20 million contract signed by center Nene with the Houston Rockets can't include the over $7 million in "likely" bonuses associated with a potential trade.
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the update Thursday.
The bottom line is Nene's contract becomes a far less desirable trade asset than if the bonuses were allowed to stand, but it doesn't completely rule out a deal.
Houston has been rumored as a potential trade destination for Andre Iguodala, who was acquired by the Memphis Grizzlies in a July trade with the Golden State Warriors.
Although the Grizzlies aren't expect to contend during the 2019-20 season, the front office is "refusing" to engage in buyout discussions with the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, per Charania.
It's unclear if Memphis would be willing to take on Nene's reworked deal as part of possible trade talks.
The 37-year-old Brazil native is a limited contributor at this stage of his career. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 51.7 percent from the field in 13 minutes per game across 42 appearances for the Rockets last season.
He'll remain a bench asset regardless of where he ends up for the 2019-20 campaign.
