Houston Rockets sign former Longhorn center Dexter Pittman
With center Greg Smith unable to come back this season after undergoing knee surgery, the Houston Rockets signed form Longhorn player Dexter Pittman to a contract that will last the remainder of this season and next.
Pittman, who played high school ball just outside of Houston at Terry-Rosenberg, is thrilled to be playing for his hometown team.
"I'm blessed," Pittman said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "I always dreamed about playing back home. I'm in shock right now.
"I never knew that I would come back home and play on the same court that Hakeem Olajuwon helped build.”
Pittman averaged over 10 points and five rebounds per game in his final two seasons at Texas before being drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft.
Spending time this year with local D-League team, Austin Toros, Pittman averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game.
With the NBA playoffs around the corner, Pittman serves as a good insurance policy for Houston as starting center Dwight Howard continues to nurse a recent ankle injury. Whether Pittman receives any significant playing time will depend on Howard’s health.
