Pistons releases Hasheem Thabeet
Tanzania’s only NBA player, Hasheem Thabeet, has been cut from the Detroit Pistons preseason camp, the team announced on Monday.
Thabeet had a non-guaranteed preseason contract with the Pistons, who trimmed their roster to 16 with just one week away from the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
His NBA future is now in doubt, especially after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) in August.
The 7-foot-3 centre Thabeet played only five minutes in one pre-season game for the Pistons against the Washington Wizards early this month.
This past season, the 27-year-old played 23 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), averaging 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game.
Thabeet, the Number 2 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA draft, made the headlines in his final year with the University Connecticut, prompting some observers to tip him as future dominant NBA defense player.
Nevertheless, five seasons later and stints with six NBA teams (Memphis, Portland, Houston, OKC, Philadelphia and Pistons) Thabeet was yet to show his real potential.
The Tanzanian made the headlines after becoming the highest draft pick ever to be sent to the D-League by an NBA team back in 2010 while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Thabeet has never averaged more than 3.1 points per game.
