Rockets waive Chinese center Zhou Qi

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced on Monday that the team has waived Chinese center Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi #9 of the Houston Rockets looks on before the game against the New York Knicks n November 1, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, November 1 2017. [File Photo：VCG]

Zhou was the 43rd overall pick by Houston in the 2016 NBA Draft. He joined the Rockets in 2017-18 but never made his name with the team.

Zhou spent the majority of the past two seasons playing for the Rockets' G-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 11.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 31 games.

Zhou played 19 regular season games with the Rockets in the past two seasons, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds. In the ongoing 2018-19 season, Zhou, troubled by a series of injuries, appeared in just one game scoring two points in one minute.

In 2016-17, Zhou led the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association to their first ever championship and was named Defensive Player of the Year, before he joined the Rockets. Zhou is also a member of the Chinese national team and competed in the 2016 Olympics.