Former Cavaliers' Forward Lands With Rockets

A former Cleveland Cavaliers' forward has found a new home with the Houston Rockets.

Dec 31, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Thon Maker (14) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the fourth quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It doesn't seem like too long ago that the Cleveland Cavaliers made the move to bring in intriguing seven-foot forward Thon Maker. But, it was surprisingly back in 2020.

That move excited the fan base, as Maker had one of the most intriguing games in the NBA. Unfortunately, he was never able to realize his potential and fizzled out.

Maker last played in the NBA with the Cavaliers back in the 2020-21 NBA season.

Now, he has found a new home and has been given another chance to resurrect his NBA career. Maker has reportedly agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Houston Rockets.

NBA insiders Kelly Iko and Shams Charania was the first to report that Maker had agreed to terms with the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets are signing free agents Thon Maker and Markquis Nowell to Exhibit 10 deals, sources tell myself and @ShamsCharania.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) October 1, 2024

During his one season with Cleveland, Maker did not carve out a big role for himself. He only ended up playing in eight games. In those extremely limited appearances, he averaged 9.5 minutes per game to go along with 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds.

While things didn't work out with the Cavaliers, Maker remains an intriguing basketball player.

At his size, he can handle the basketball well. He can get to the rim and use his size to finish. Maker also showed signs of being able to step out and knock down the perimeter shot.

Now, at 27 years old, Maker is attempting to make his dream of playing in the NBA come true once again. It doesn't seem super likely that he'll latch on with Houston, but he has an opportunity. That's all that a player can ask for from any team.

If he were able to start showing off his full potential, Maker could be a solid bench piece for the Rockets.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what Maker can do with this chance. Cleveland doesn't have a close connection with him, but fans will likely still root for him to find his path and get back into the league.