It’s not Willie Cauley-Stein’s fault he was drafted where he was back in 2015-16. It’s not his fault he got his introduction to the NBA on the longest running joke team in the NBA. At the time he was drafted, he was seen as a mobile defensive center with some offensive upside, potentially a player who could find greatness.
Like most players condemned to play for the Sacramento Kings, this has not happened for one reason on another. At 29 years old, an upside breakout seems unlikely. This is an unfortunate story, for the NBA hopes of Willie Cauley-Stein, but not one in which the Houston Rockets have played any real part.