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Somewhat surprisingly, White does not deny that he could play for Houston right now, if that were his decision. He could handle the travel, at least in the short-term. "I probably could do it," he says. "But what would the effect be? What would I have left at the end of the season? How good would I be for the team during the season?" Grantland

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

For one thing, it's hard to deduce the level of White's current focus on basketball. In a theoretical universe, there's no question he could contribute to just about any team in the league: He's an ultraphysical point forward who can consistently get to the rim.2 He's a deft passer3 and an intelligent rebounder. Yet when I ask how much basketball he's been playing during this long stretch of inactivity, his answer is that he's hardly been playing at all. "I work out very sparingly, to be honest," White says. "I probably shoot once a week."4 He's also currently experiencing the short-term reward of untested potential: As long as White doesn't play (and as long as his weaknesses remain unexposed), his reputation as a game-changer can only grow. Grantland

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

But then he continues talking. And this is where it becomes difficult to see how White and the Rockets will ever find real common ground, even if he eventually ends up on their roster. "But if you want to talk about it through that lens, every player should have their own doctor. The reality is that American businesses are built on the idea of cutting overhead. And how do we cut overhead?" White points to the door that leads from the patio to the main restaurant. "Why do restaurants put exit signs over every exit? I bet if Cheesecake Factory didn't have to do that, they wouldn't. Because it would cost less to do nothing. They have to be forced to do that. So if a team or a business can save money by making things less safe, they're going to do that. They don't care. It's a conflict of interest to have the team doctor paid by the team. What we need is a doctor who can look at a situation and say, 'Listen, I know the team wants you to do this, and I know their doctor is saying you should do this. But as a non-biased doctor with no interest in how you perform athletically, I recommend differently.' Right now, you have players pushing themselves back in three weeks who have three-month injuries." Grantland

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Do you believe 26 percent of the league is dealing with a mental illness, or does mental illness prompt those dealing with it to self-select themselves out of the pool? Are you the rare exception who got drafted? Royce White: The amount of NBA players with mental health disorders is way over 26 percent. My suggestion would be to ask David Stern how many players in the league he thinks have a marijuana problem. Whatever number he gives you, that's the number with mental illness. A chemical imbalance is a mental illness. So, wait … if somebody has a drinking problem, is that — That's a mental illness. A gambling addiction is a mental illness. Addiction is a mental illness. Grantland

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

OK, just so I get this right: You're arguing that most Americans have a mental illness. Exactly. That's definitely correct. But — if that's true — wouldn't that mean "mental illness" is just a normative condition? That it's just how people are? That doesn't make it normal. This is based on science. If there was a flu epidemic, and 60 percent of the country had the flu, it wouldn't make it normal … the problem is growing, and it's growing because there's a subtle war — in America, and in the world — between business and health. It's no secret that 2 percent of the human population controls all the wealth and the resources, and the other 98 percent struggle their whole life to try and attain it. Right? And what ends up happening is that the 2 percent leave the 98 percent to struggle and struggle and struggle, and they eventually build up these stresses and conditions. So … this is about late capitalism? Definitely. Definitely. Grantland

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Royce White: "As much as we want to think that these are just people behind computer screens, those people are living next door to you," he says. "They are people behind computer screens in schools. In hospitals. Working in Washington, D.C. These are real people. How many times does this stuff have to happen before we admit something really disturbing is going on here? I think one person tweeting 'Fuck you, go kill yourself' is disturbing. But when you get into the hundreds of those tweets? The thousands of those tweets? I see a lot of people out there with really volatile mental disorders that are not getting help. Because I go to their own Twitter pages, and I can see they're not just sending those messages to me. They're sending them to a bunch of people. I mean, if you tweet at me five times in seven minutes because I'm not playing for a team you have no real connection to? That is not good. That suggests mental illness. And even if you say, 'But I love this team to death,' it means you've put too much investment into entertainment. It's probably not good for you." Grantland

Houston Rockets, Twitter, Royce White 

I also spoke with Daryl Morey, the Rockets general manager. He declined to make any on-the-record statements, but he seems to have a pretty reasonable view on White's potential future. Morey also mentioned that the true risk of selecting White was not as severe as many people think, since only about 20 percent of players drafted 16th overall end up having major NBA careers anyway. Grantland

Houston Rockets, Draft, Daryl Morey, Royce White 

It appears that Royce White can finally get back to playing basketball. White was reinstated by the Houston Rockets and will report to the team's D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, on Feb. 11, according to a joint statement released Saturday by the Rockets and White. White has been inactive all season, and the team suspended the rookie forward on Jan. 6 after he refused an initial assignment to Rio Grande Valley. The sides "reached an agreement that addresses the major issues" facing White and the Rockets, the statement said. USA Today Sports

Houston Rockets, D-League, Royce White 

The Houston Rockets and Royce White have today reached an agreement that addresses the major issues that they have been discussing, provides a new start, and gives Royce the best opportunity for long term success as a Houston Rocket. This has been a learning process for both parties. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, D-League, Royce White 

It appears that Royce White can finally get back to playing basketball. White was reinstated by the Houston Rockets and will report to the team's D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, on Feb. 11, according to a joint statement released Saturday by the Rockets and White. White has been inactive all season, and the team suspended the rookie forward on Jan. 6 after he refused an initial assignment to Rio Grande Valley. The sides "reached an agreement that addresses the major issues" facing White and the Rockets, the statement said. USA Today Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Below, a transcript of some of the more relevant bits from White's 16-minute Wednesday morning radio interview, in which he discussed not only his possible return to the Rockets, but also how the issue started, his view of mental-health-related stigma in America in general and the black community in particular, the difference between the dynamics of college and pro teams, how he's like Magic Johnson, and much more: On his mental illness and communication with the NBA: "Well, the first thing is, I have a number of mental health issues. None of them are severe alone, and none of them are severe unless they are exacerbated. That's what happens with mental illness — for example, my anxiety affects me on a daily basis, but when it becomes exacerbated, then it has physical symptoms, just like an injury, like a physical injury. Like, if I had a heart condition. Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

On fans upset that he's refused to report despite making millions of dollars a year: "Well, I haven't received a paycheck yet. So that's the real truth. [...] One of the things that most of us know — I wasn't listening to the radio, actually; somebody called me and said I was on so I turned it, I was at Jack in the Box — most of the people in the studio know that what everybody thinks really don't matter. A lot of people ain't paying enough attention to their own lives, so they probably ain't paying close enough attention to somebody else's life to make an accurate depiction or an accurate comment about it. And that's what's going on here." Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

On how long he anticipates the "standoff" with the Rockets will last: "Well, actually, you know, we're in the 12th hour of it being over." On his choice to consistently advocate for his position on Twitter rather than remaining quiet in the public eye and handling the situation with the Rockets behind closed doors: "Well, you know, you've got to do what you think is best. And everybody's their own kind of person, and me, I'm just a — you know, I'm a combustible guy. I say what I want, you know, because there ain't enough people to stop me. And that's the 'me being an a**hole' answer, but the real answer is that I believe that sticking with the truth is always going to win in the end. You know, there's the whole idea of 'politically correct' — I don't really believe in that, because I believe 'politically correct' keeps us from resolution. Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

On that "12th hour" comment, the nature of his resolution with the Rockets and whether we'll see him play basketball this year: "The resolution, when I say we're in the 12th hour, I mean we're literally in the 12th hour — like, I think any hour now, this whole thing'll be over and I'm gonna be, I'm supposed to be returning to the D-League on Feb. 11. So that was the plan. We'll see if it finally goes through, but the last thing I heard was that that's what we're gonna do, that's what we're planning to do, and we're just waiting on everybody to get the right paperwork and stuff like that." Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Rookie forward Royce White is close to returning to the Rockets and to reporting to their D-League affiliate. In a call in to a morning show on 97.9 The Box, White said he plans to report to the D-League on Feb. 11, pending “paper work” on a plan with the team. According to a person with knowledge of the plan, the Rockets are close to making an announcement in which White would return to the team under a written agreement that includes key elements of the protocols that White wanted to have as an addendum to his contract. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Suspended Houston Rockets rookie forward Royce White told HBO's Real Sports he understands he may never play in the NBA because of the complexities of his generalized anxiety disorder, yet said, "I'm not going to accept it without a fight." In the nearly 16-minute segment, which airs on HBO Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (and at 10 p.m. PT), White admitted to reporter Bernard Goldberg that he has shown up for some team activities. "I have not always showed up for practice, but every time I didn't show up for practice, it was a medical reason," White said. USA Today Sports

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Ben Golliver: Rockets GM Daryl Morey, in letter to White, says White apologized for misleading Rockets about his fear of flying prior to 2012 NBA Draft Twitter @blazersedge

Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, Royce White 

Ben Golliver: HBO feature reveals letter from Rockets GM Daryl Morey to Royce White, dated Nov. 20, in which Morey says Rockets have "bent over backwards" Twitter @blazersedge

Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, Royce White 

Suspended Rockets rookie forward Royce White has confirmed that he wants the team to hire a physician – a “medical point person,” in his words – with authority to determine whether White’s generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder will allow him to practice or play each day. White’s confirmation of the stipulations he wants added to his contract were made during a Jan. 8 interview with correspondent Bernard Goldberg of HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” which will air a 16-minute segment Tuesday night on White. “I want a medical point person that will remain neutral and keep the interest in health,” White told Goldberg. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Royce White 

Asked if that meant the doctor could determine that White’s anxiety disorder would not allow him to play, for example, in a game against the Lakers, “Then I can’t play against the Lakers,” he said. “Just like if your orthopedist says, ‘Royce’s left toe has a crack in it and he shouldn’t run or jump against the Lakers tonight,’ then I can’t run or jump against the Lakers tonight.” White said the only difference between his disorder and an orthopedic injury is “you can’t see mine. There’s no swelling, so to speak. It’s not purple.” He said he was aware his demands could end his NBA career before it starts but said, “I’m not gonna accept it without a fight.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Royce White