The Rockets on Monday waived center Zhou Qi, ending a three-season experiment on the first day he was cleared to come back from his sprained ankle.
A 7-1 center that the Rockets made the 43rd pick of the 2016 draft, Zhou showed initial promise, but was unable to become a more reliable range shooter or develop as a rim-runner in their offense. Battling injuries this season since training camp, Zhou played in just one game.
Zhou played in 19 games with the Rockets, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds on 21.2 percent shooting in 6.6 minutes. In 31 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, he averaged 11 points and seven rebounds.