Danuel House Jr., a fill-in starting forward for the Houston Rockets who spent the maximum days in the NBA allowed on his two-way contract, is headed to the G League after declining the franchise's contract offer, his agent confirmed.
House has averaged 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 25 games for the Rockets, starting the past 12 games.
The Rockets are likely to sign a wing to a 10-day deal to address their lack of depth at the position, a source said. Houston is also optimistic that Eric Gordon, who has missed the past eight games because of a right knee contusion, will return for Wednesday's home game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Agent Raymond Brothers, who represents House, told ESPN that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey initially offered a nonguaranteed three-year minimum deal. On Tuesday, Morey offered a guaranteed three-year minimum deal, Brothers said.
"We rejected both offers and asked the Rockets to convert him for the remainder of the season," Brothers said in a text message.
The Rockets originally signed House, 25, to a minimum deal on Nov. 26 after he played for the team's G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers early in the season. He was waived on Dec. 4 to create a roster spot to sign forward Gary Clark, whose NBA time on his two-way deal was almost up, to a three-year, partially guaranteed contract. The Rockets re-signed House to a two-way deal two days later, and he has been a regular in Houston's rotation. He was allotted 33 days in the NBA, prorated from the 45 allotted to players who sign two-way contracts at the start of the season.
House will be a restricted free agent this summer if he remains on a two-way deal and spends the rest of the season in the G League.
The Houston Chronicle first reported that House and the Rockets failed to agree to terms on a deal.
