Rockets Decline to Match Hawks’ Two-Year Offer Sheet for N’Faly Dante
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Houston — Center N’Faly Dante is headed to the Atlanta Hawks after the Houston Rockets opted not to match a two-year, $4.5 million offer sheet signed on August 18, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Dante, 23, logged only four NBA appearances as a rookie last season but was productive with the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers. On a two-way contract, the Oregon product averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 26.8 minutes over 42 games.
The Rockets extended a two-way qualifying offer to Dante in June, yet later filled their two-way slots with Kevon Harris, Isaiah Crawford and JD Davison. Houston is operating just $1.26 million below the first-apron hard cap, preventing the club from adding a 15th standard player at even the veteran minimum without clearing salary—an obstacle that made matching Atlanta’s minimum-salary sheet unlikely.
Atlanta’s roster will rise to 14 standard contracts once the deal becomes official, with forward Caleb Houstan also expected to sign. Dante will join a frontcourt featuring Onyeka Okongwu, offseason acquisition Kristaps Porzingis, rookie Asa Newell and third-year big Mouhamed Gueye.
Dante becomes the first two-way restricted free agent to ink an unmatched offer sheet since Tyrone Wallace did so with the Clippers in 2018. The Hawks are the first team to tender an offer sheet that went unmatched since their 2020 pursuit of Kings restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanović.
Source: HoopsRumors
