Chinanu Onuaku traded to the Dallas Mavericks

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets have sent 2016 second-round pick Chinanu Onuaku to the in-state rival Mavericks.

Onuaku came to Houston as a second-round pick out of Louisville but often found himself in the G-League with the Vipers in his two seasons in the league. He was a raw prospect coming out of college but the return on the investment was not enough for the Rockets to keep him past Year 2.

When the Rockets signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year deal last week, it seemed like the nail in Nanu’s coffin.

The Rockets received a second-round pick in the trade, but more importantly, the trade opens up a roster spot. The team is now at 13 players with the subtraction of Onuaku, but with the presumed additions of second-round pick De’Anthony Melton and Carmelo Anthony, the team will get back to the final 15.