HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets have suspended rookie forward Royce White for the second time.
"The Houston Rockets have suspended Royce White effective immediately for refusing to provide services as required by his Uniform Player Contract," general manager Daryl Morey said in a statement. "We will continue to work with Royce to hopefully come to a resolution."
White, for the second time, refused an assignment to the Rockets' NBA Developmental League affiliate and, for the second time, has taken to Twitter to blast Rockets management. He says the team is ignoring the advice of White's doctors. White suffers from anxiety.
"Threat, Fines, Suspension won't deter me," White wrote on Twitter. "I won't accept illogical health decisions, I will keep asking for safety & health. #BeWell @dmorey."
The @dmorey handle belongs to Morey.
White has not revealed any specific complaints about the way the Rockets have handled him. He fears flying, but has an arrangement with the team that would allow him to drive to games that are within a reasonable driving distance. He has made it clear that his issue with the Rockets is not about travel arrangements, at least not only that. He wants written "protocols" for managing his health, according to the Houston Chronicle, but the Rockets could not enter into such a written agreement with him without violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
White, the No. 16 pick in the 2012 draft, hasn't played for the Rockets during the regular season.
"What's suspending me suppose to do?" he said. " I've been away from the team for a month 1/2. Guess we want to give it a title to shift accountability."
The Rockets believe White has the talent of a top-five pick. On talent alone, they felt they got a bargain by grabbing him in the middle of the first round. Of course, the reason he fell that far is that other teams were concerned his anxiety would be overly problematic.
