Once upon a time, Royce White was the darling of forward-thinking NBA fans everywhere. The Rockets’ 16th pick in the 2012 draft was a wildly talented and unique prospect, a forward with a point guard’s vision. But his well-documented anxiety disorder scared off a lot of teams, causing him to fall out of the lottery. And over the course of a contentious season in Houston, White never suited up. He disagreed with team officials and doctors about how best to manage his condition and refused to be assigned to the D-League. Eventually, the Rockets decided White wasn’t worth the trouble and traded him to the Sixers, who waived him. He played a few games of garbage time on 10-day contracts with the Kings, but other than that hasn’t been heard from.
According to a report from RealGM’s Shams Charania, White may be gearing up for another crack at an NBA career:Bulls, Pelicans emerging as suitors for Royce White’s NBA comeback in July, sources tell RealGM. Former 16th pick is deciding among several.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2015
To refresh your memory on just how talented White is, here’s a collection of Summer League highlights from before his rookie season:
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. Hopefully, White’s comeback turns out the same way.