Tyler

Ennis

Ennis will now be an affiliate player for the Raptors’ G-League team as he works his way back from a broken leg. He was the 18th pick in the 2014 draft and has played 186 games in the NBA, the last of which came two seasons ago.

He was doubtful coming in, so this isn’t a surprise. Tyler Ennis could see some extended minutes with Patrick Beverley (knee) sidelined, as well.

The Rockets acquired Ennis from the Bucks in exchange for Michael Beasley on Friday, and Morey indicated that he will have a chance to crack the rotation. “He’s a guy we’ve always had our eye on, that has an ability to pass,” Morey said. “He definitely has a real chance to step up.” It’s not out of the question to think that Ennis could pass Pablo Prigioni on the depth chart, but Patrick Beverley is still the overwhelming favorite to start. Deep-league owners can just keep an eye on Ennis for now.

There’s only so much that can be gleaned from a raw exhibition vs. an international team, but as promised, Beverley, Eric Gordon and James Harden rotated in through the backcourt. Tyler Ennis (11 minutes) and Pablo Prigioni (10 minutes) also saw some run, but neither guy is likely to have a substantial role in the regular season.

The Rockets have to waive one more player in order to get down to the 15-man limit. Ennis, the 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, hasn’t made much of an impression over his first two years in the NBA, averaging just 4.1 points and 2.1 assists.

Earlier in the day, The Vertical reported that Ennis would be waived. Now, reports indicate that Houston will instead let go of Pablo Prigioni and keep Ennis.

The Bucks found out on Wednesday that Khris Middleton (hamstring) will be out for about six months, so Beasley could be looking at minutes in Milwaukee right away. Beasley was a nice surprise in Houston last season with averages of 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game, and he’s only going to be on the books for $1.4 million before hitting free agency in 2017. The Bucks may not be done making moves, but we’re still not excited about Beasley’s fantasy outlook.

Ennis was buried on the depth chart in Milwaukee last season, averaging 4.5 points and 2.1 assists in 14.2 minutes per game. He’s only 22 years old and is joining a point guard rotation that includes Patrick Beverley and Pablo Prigioni, so it’s possible that he could win the backup job. To be clear, he’s only on the radar in very deep leagues.

Nene isn’t going to play a lot with the Rockets giving their guys a night off. This will be a big chance for Ennis to show he can get in the rotation behind James Harden while Pat Beverley (knee) is on the shelf.

He had a chance to get into the rotation, but he didn’t really help himself. Ennis will have to battle with Pablo Prigioni for minutes, but there likely won’t be enough minutes to matter anyway.