Exum waived by Rockets

Free to roam: Aussie guard Dante Exum, who spent a season-and-a-half with Cleveland, has been waived by the Houston Rockets and is now a free agent. Photo: CARLOS OSORIO/ AP

AUSTRALIAN Boomers guard Dante Exum is an NBA free agent after being waived by the Houston Rockets.

Exum, 26, had recently signed a $20 million deal with the Rockets, but the non-guaranteed contract meant he was always at risk of being waived before the start of the season.

Unfortunately for the former top-five draft pick, the Rockets didn’t see enough from him in his three pre-season games to follow through on the deal.

He was officially waved by Houston on Sunday.

Having played a key role in the Boomers’ bronze medal performance in Tokyo it appeared that his NBA career was set to be revived, but that won’t happen in Houston.

While there’s no doubting Exum’s talent, injuries have cruelled the explosive guard thus far in the NBA with him struggling to find a permanent home across seven seasons in the association.

Having spent six seasons to start his career with the Jazz, Exum was traded to the Cavaliers in 2019 before being moved to the Rockets as part of the James Harden trade in January.

He never played a game in Houston.

The NBA season tipped off on Wednesday.

– BY LACHLAN GELEIT/ SEN