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Nene and the Rockets agreed to a deal that was originally for four years and $15 million. Unfortunately, his age -- currently 34 years old -- has worked against him. Due to the NBA's Over-38 rule, his original contract was illegal as he would be 38 by the time the final year of that four-year contract is finished. The result? Houston is offering him a shorter deal than it wanted to offer -- 3 years, $10.9 million -- and Nene loses out on some money.

This would keep him under the parameters of the Over-38 rule while still paying him around what Houston was originally going to pay him. 

One problem, though. Nene apparently doesn't want to accept this new deal. He's reportedly back to "square one" on contract discussions with Houston.

Houston is still confident a deal can be worked out with Nene, who is a capable forward that, despite his age, can still contribute to the Rockets. He plays with energy and pulls down boards in his increasingly limited minutes. However, injuries have kept him off the floor the last few years, making him a risky for big money.

That said, the Rockets losing out on Nene because of this could be a huge hit to their big man depth. When he's not hurt he's productive and good for them. Replacing his minutes and production would not be easy. So, as of now, the big man remains a free agent. The question still remains whether he'll work things out with Houston or sign elsewhere.