FRIDAY, 9:50pm: White tweeted from his personal account that he plans on rejoining the Rockets next season. The big man emphasized that he is not giving up on playing in the NBA, despite his tumultuous first season and conflict with the Rockets' front office.
THURSDAY, 4:04pm: The Rockets were not a part of White's decision to leave the team's D-League affiliate, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The team is not commenting on the subject for now, says Feigen.
9:40am: After playing 12 games for the Rockets' D-League affiliate, it appears Royce White will return to Houston, though that doesn't necessarily mean we should expect to see him on the Rockets' bench anytime soon.
"[I] have been advised by our team physician it is most logical I be in Houston the remainder of the season," White tweeted this morning. In a second tweet, he clarified that he never said he'd be rejoining the Rockets — only returning to Houston. White thanked the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in both tweets.
There are still nine games on Rio Grande Valley's regular-season schedule, and the club looks like a lock to continue on to the D-League postseason, so the decision doesn't appear to be schedule-related. And while it's not clear yet whether or not the Rockets intend to recall the rookie forward to their roster this season, I can't imagine that rejoining the team would be White's reward for recently suggesting that the Rockets and the NBA wanted him "gone." We'll have to wait on further word to find out exactly what the club's plan is for the 21-year-old.
In addition to making off-the-court headlines this season, White also didn't look particularly effective on the court during his D-League stint. In 12 games with Rio Grande Valley, he averaged just 9.6 PPG and 5.6 RPG, while struggling with his conditioning.