Rockets Notes: Free Agency, Green, Lopez, Whitmore, Tate
The Rockets were the most active team on the free agent market this weekend — signing four players and jettisoning a significant amount of their young talent — but their future will still be built around the core they put together in the last three drafts, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
The big-money additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, along with smaller deals for Jock Landale and Jeff Green, are designed to complement Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson, according to Feigen. Kevin Porter Jr. should also be considered part of that group, Feigen adds, as he remains in the team’s long-term plans along with Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore.
All the new additions will have clear roles alongside those players, Feigen notes. VanVleet will run the offense for a team that often seemed disorganized during its three years of rebuilding. He also improves the defense with his ability to get steals and deflections and has shown that he can be effective while playing off the ball. Brooks will be the team’s best perimeter defender, while Landale and Green will back up Sengun and Smith.
There’s more from Houston:
- Green’s new $6MM contract is small enough to be absorbed with the team’s $7.7MM room exception before the Brooks trade is completed, Feigen adds. However, he says the more likely scenario is that the team will keep the exception open and use it, along with roughly $4.5MM in remaining cap space, to see if it can sign anyone else.
- The Rockets are surveying the market to find guard depth with the money they have left, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Iko states that a veteran who can handle either backcourt position would be ideal for the current roster.
- Iko cites “genuine internal disappointment” among Rockets officials when center Brook Lopez opted to remain in Milwaukee instead of taking their offer, which was reported to be around $40MM for two years. Having Landale and Green on the roster instead of Lopez makes Sengun the clear starting center and should help with his development, Iko notes.
- The roster additions mean the Rockets can afford to be patient with rookie Cam Whitmore, with Iko suggesting that the 20th overall pick could see some time in the G League.
- Teams have asked about swingman Jae’Sean Tate during the offseason, but the Rockets still appear to view him as an important part of their future, Iko tweets.
Community Shootaround: Free Agency Winners & Losers
Provisions in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement were designed to make teams more fiscally prudent, but it seemed like business as usual when the NBA’s annual free agent frenzy began on Friday.
Jerami Grant received $160MM from the Trail Blazers, Fred VanVleet got more than $128MM from the Rockets and Kyrie Irving accepted $126MM to stay with the Mavericks — and that was all within the first few hours of free agency. Seven nine-figure deals have been handed out already, as it appears some teams aren’t giving a second thought to the second apron.
Grant has been the biggest winner so far, benefiting from Portland’s desire to make bold moves to keep Damian Lillard from leaving town. Although Lillard asked for a trade the next morning anyway, Grant still wound up with a new five-year deal that makes him this year’s highest-paid free agent. The 29-year-old forward turned down a four-year, $113MM extension offer during the season and was able to cash in with a significant offer from the desperate Blazers.
VanVleet was the target of a bidding war between the Raptors, who were hoping to hold onto one of their franchise cornerstones, and the Rockets, who were armed with more than $60MM in cap space and were seeking an experienced point guard to run the offense for new head coach Ime Udoka. Toronto officials reportedly sweetened their offer to VanVleet by adding an extra season at a meeting Friday night, but Houston was willing to do the same, giving VanVleet a new deal that averages nearly $43MM per year.
Irving remained with the Mavericks, who weren’t dissuaded by the lack of success that he and Luka Doncic had together after they were united in a February trade. Irving had disputed interest from other teams, but it turns out that he didn’t need a strong outside suitor to convince the Mavs to open their checkbook.
Also reaching the $100MM mark were Nets forward Cameron Johnson (four years, $108MM), Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (four years, $102MM), Bucks forward Khris Middleton (three years, $102MM) and Warriors forward Draymond Green (four years, $100MM). They were part of a noticeable trend, as most prominent free agents re-signed with their current teams.
Among those who didn’t was Dillon Brooks, who got probably the most surprising contract of the weekend when the Rockets agreed to pay him $80MM for four years in a sign-and-trade deal with Memphis. Brooks’ reputation suffered after a confrontation with LeBron James in the playoffs and a report that the Grizzlies wouldn’t re-sign him “under any circumstances,” but he was a second team All-Defensive selection and is an easy fit for a Houston team that needs to upgrade its defense.
Other notable free agents who changed teams include Bruce Brown, who left the champion Nuggets for a two-year, $45MM offer from the Pacers; Max Strus, who reached the NBA Finals with the Heat and will be counted on to bring some outside shooting to the Cavaliers; his backcourt partner, Gabe Vincent, who left Miami for the Lakers; and Donte DiVincenzo, who will join his former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on the Knicks.
We want to get your input. Which teams have used their cap room wisely so far in free agency and who has spent foolishly? Give us your votes for the best and worst contracts as well.
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Trade Rumors: Lillard, Harden, Brogdon, Fournier, Rockets
The Trail Blazers told rival teams that they are “open for business everywhere in the league” regarding a Damian Lillard trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (YouTube link).
Lillard, who asked for a trade on Saturday after weeks of speculation, reportedly hopes to end up in Miami, where he could be part of a title contender. However, the Heat may not be able to offer the best trade package, and Portland GM Joe Cronin intends to focus on the team’s needs rather than Lillard’s preference while negotiating a deal.
“For Portland, they’re going to go out into the marketplace and try to find the best deal they can,” Wojnarowski said, “a combination of young players, draft picks, salary cap relief, all the things you want when a star of Damian Lillard’s magnitude asks to be traded.”
Woj adds that he doesn’t expect a Lillard deal to be completed quickly and that Miami doesn’t have any advantage because Lillard wants to go there. The Blazers haven’t told Lillard whether they intend to comply with his request to join the Heat, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
There are more trade rumors to pass along:
- The Sixers‘ asking price for James Harden has been “really high,” Wojnarowski said in the same segment, noting that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tends to seek a lot in return when a star player wants to be traded. Harden picked up his $35.6MM player option this week, and reports have indicated that he wants to be dealt to the Clippers. Wojnarowski adds that it’s “not an easy trade to make” because Philadelphia has to get value in return to pair with MVP Joel Embiid and keep the team in title contention. Woj speculates that trade talks could extend beyond Summer League action.
- The Celtics aren’t trying to trade Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, a source tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Brogdon was involved in an early version of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, but that fell through when the Clippers pulled out due to medical concerns about Brogdon. Himmelsbach adds that Brogdon is expected to be ready for the start of next season, even though he’s considering surgery for a right elbow injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals.
- The Knicks will continue to explore trades involving Evan Fournier, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, but they don’t need to open any more cap flexibility to add Donte DiVincenzo after agreeing to send Obi Toppin to the Pacers. New York doesn’t seem to be actively pursuing either Lillard or Harden, according to Begley.
- David Weiner of ClutchFans.net (Twitter link) suspects the Rockets will fold multiple reported trade agreements into their sign-and-trade deal for Dillon Brooks in order to maximize their cap room. After acquiring Patty Mills and using up their remaining cap space, Weiner posits, Houston will package Josh Christopher (to the Grizzlies), Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington (to the Hawks), and Mills (destination TBD), whose combined salaries will be enough to match Brooks’ expected first-year salary (approximately $21.6MM) without requiring room.
Pistons Sign Ausar Thompson, Jared Rhoden, Malcolm Cazalon
The Pistons have signed Ausar Thompson to his rookie scale contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
The fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, Thompson is eligible to receive $7,977,480 in his first season and can make $36,246,405 over the four-year contract, as our breakdown of rookie scale salaries shows.
Thompson, 20, was named MVP and Finals MVP last season in the Overtime Elite league. The versatile small forward averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists as the City Reapers captured the championship.
Detroit also announced the signing of guards Jared Rhoden and Malcolm Cazalon to two-way contracts (Twitter link).
Rhoden was a two-way player last season with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, and played 14 games in the NBA. He received a two-way qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
Cazalon spent the past three seasons with Mega MIS in Serbia. In 25 games last season, he averaged 11.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .462/.337/.800 shooting line in 25.5 minutes per night. He’s still just 21 years old.
The Pistons still have one two-way slot open.
Darius Days Re-Signs With Rockets
The Rockets have re-signed Darius Days to another two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Houston claimed Days last October after he was waived by the Heat and inked him to a two-way contract. He spent almost the entire season with the organization’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, earning second team all-league honors by averaging 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.0 made three-pointers per game.
The 23-year-old forward also saw minimal playing time in four NBA games.
The Rockets submitted a two-way qualifying offer to Days earlier this week, which serves as another one-year contract as a two-way player with a small financial guarantee attached.
Houston has also re-signed Trevor Hudgins, its other two-way player from last season. The club still has an open two-way slot, since teams can carry up to three players on two-way deals starting in 2023/24.
Central Notes: Bucks, Pistons, Parker, Pacers’ Coaches
The Bucks kept their core intact by re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, but it will be challenging to fill out the roster while remaining under the second tax apron, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The two new contracts bring Milwaukee’s projected spending for next season to nearly $170MM for eight players, leaving six more to be added without reaching the $182.79MM apron. Nehm points out that they can’t avoid the apron if they use their full $5MM taxpayer mid-level exception and will have to complete the roster mostly through veteran’s minimum contracts and re-signing their own players through Bird rights.
A new one-year deal with Jae Crowder will help, Nehm adds. The Bucks parted with five second-round picks to acquire the veteran forward in February, but he wasn’t a lock to return because he didn’t have the impact on defense that the team was expecting. Thanasis Antetokounmpo will likely be back, according to Nehm, but the Bucks are expected to wait until later this summer to officially sign him to retain their financial flexibility.
Nehm notes that finding a backup point guard will be a priority after losing Jevon Carter to the Bulls. He names Kendrick Nunn as a potential low-cost option, along with Cory Joseph, who is on the market after spending the last two seasons in Detroit.
Nehm suggests that Milwaukee could look for bargains with its other open roster spots. He mentions Kings shooting guard Terence Davis and Raptors point guard Dalano Banton as possibilities, as well the Lakers’ Malik Beasley and Lonnie Walker if they’re willing to accept minimum offers for one year to join a title contender.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Instead of signing free agents, the Pistons used their cap room to trade for two veterans, which sets them up for big moves at the deadline and next summer, observes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Joe Harris at $19.9MM and Monte Morris at $9.8MM use up virtually all of Detroit’s $30MM in cap space, but they both have expiring contracts that could be valuable at the deadline in February. Sankofa notes that the same is true for Alec Burks‘ $10.5MM deal, while Bojan Bogdanovic is virtually expiring because his 2024/25 contract only carries a $2MM guarantee.
- A family matter will prevent Jabari Parker from joining the Bucks for the Las Vegas Summer League, Nehm tweets. The former No. 2 overall pick is hoping for another NBA opportunity after sitting out all of last season.
- Pacers assistant Ronald Nored will join Quin Snyder‘s staff with the Hawks, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Indiana will move Jenny Boucek to the front of the bench and make Jim Boylen an assistant after he served as a consultant last season.
Raptors Notes: VanVleet, Schroder, Anunoby, Coaching Staff
The Raptors and Rockets both increased their offers to Fred VanVleet Friday night before he decided to sign with Houston, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Toronto had been hesitant to exceed $90MM over three years, with one source describing it to Grange as a “glass ceiling.” Although VanVleet is one of the most accomplished players in franchise history, he has missed 30 combined games due to injury over the last two years and he shot career lows both from the field and from three-point range last season. There were also concerns that going beyond that limit would inhibit the team’s ability to make other moves, such as re-signing center Jakob Poeltl.
The situation changed when rumors of James Harden returning to Houston died down and the Raptors realized that VanVleet had become the Rockets’ number one target. During a meeting with VanVleet shortly after the start of free agency, Raptors officials presented him with an expanded offer that brought it to $120MM for four seasons.
Sources tell Grange that VanVleet next met with the Rockets, who also added a year to their offer, increasing it to three years at nearly $129MM. After nearly three hours of waiting, the Raptors learned that they were losing their starting point guard.
There’s more from Toronto:
- Lakers players will miss Dennis Schröder, whom the Raptors quickly signed as VanVleet’s replacement, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Austin Reaves called Schroder “one of the best teammates I’ve met” and said his commitment to winning over everything else made him stand out.
- Before OG Anunoby finalized a change in his representation, he told prospective agents that he wants a situation with more ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities when he signs his next contract, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. VanVleet’s departure and the addition of Darko Rajakovic as head coach might provide that opportunity for Anunoby in Toronto, Fischer suggests.
- James Wade is the latest addition to Rajakovic’s coaching staff, tweets James Kay of TheNextHoops. Wade had been the general manager and head coach of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
Alex Len Signs One-Year Deal With Kings
July 10: Len’s new deal is official, the Kings announced (Twitter link via James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com).
July 1: Alex Len will stay with the Kings on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It will pay him $3,196,448.
The 30-year-old appeared in just 26 games last season, averaging 1.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per night. He claimed a role as the team’s backup center late in the season, but his playing time was sporadic in the seven-game playoff series against the Warriors.
There may be a clearer path to regular minutes for Len in 2023/24 following Sacramento’s trade of Richaun Holmes and the free agent departure of Chimezie Metu.
However, with the offseason far from over, the team also may still bring in another big man to be Domantas Sabonis‘ primary backup.
Len was the fifth pick in the 2013 draft, but he has never been able to live up to that status. He returned to the Kings as a free agent in 2021 after briefly playing for them during the 2019/20 season.
Trevor Hudgins Accepting QO From Rockets
Rockets two-way player Trevor Hudgins has accepted his qualifying offer from the team, his agent tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The offer will amount to another one-year deal as a two-way player with a small salary guarantee.
Hudgins signed with Houston last summer after going undrafted out of Northwest Missouri State. He spent the season almost entirely in the G League, where he averaged 19 PPG for Rio Grande Valley, but he did see minimal playing time in five NBA games.
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement has given each team a third two-way player, so Hudgins’ spot on the roster may be secure.
The Rockets also made a qualifying offer to Darius Days, their other two-way player from last season.
Latest On Damian Lillard
Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin will try to accommodate the trade request Damian Lillard made earlier today, but he will also operate in the best interests of his own team, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Rival front offices believe Cronin is looking for a “star-level” return and he’s willing to consider other teams besides Miami, which is Lillard’s preferred destination.
Cronin confirmed that sentiment in a statement he issued after the Lillard news was made public, saying, “We have been clear that we want Dame here, but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace else. What has not changed for us is that we’re committed to winning, and we are going to do what’s best for the team in pursuit of that goal.” (Twitter link)
Tyler Herro, who has four years and $120MM left on his contract, is considered a vital part of any Heat deal for salary matching purposes. However, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that Cronin doesn’t view Herro as a good fit with his roster and would try to find a third team to take him if Lillard is traded to Miami. The Nets have been considered as a team that might take on Herro’s contract, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
There’s also a sense that the Blazers won’t rush into a deal and will take their time to make sure they get the best return for Lillard, tweets Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.
Many teams are interested in acquiring Lillard, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who names the Sixers, Clippers and Jazz among them. Amick reiterates that a third team would likely have to get involved for a trade with Miami to work.
Amick also examines what led to Lillard’s trade request, saying he was ready to ask for a deal when he and his agent met with Cronin on Monday. Cronin was able to talk Lillard into waiting to see what the team was able to do in free agency, but when no major additions took place Friday night, Lillard called coach Chauncey Billups and decided it was time to move on.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer also has doubts that Lillard will end up in Miami, stating that the Heat’s potential best offer would be “one of the worst trades in NBA history.” He believes Miami would be willing to accept Jusuf Nurkic‘s contract along with Lillard, while sending back Herro, Kyle Lowry, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 and a pick swap in 2029. O’Connor points out that the deal wouldn’t give Portland a collection of valuable picks or young talent to build around.
O’Connor lists eight teams that he believes should be aggressively pursuing Lillard, starting with the Sixers. Philadelphia has indicated that it’s not willing to part with Tyrese Maxey, but if that changes, O’Connor views Maxey, two future first-rounders, a pick swap and expiring contracts as better than what Miami can offer. He points out that Sixers president Daryl Morey can pick up more trade assets by sending James Harden to the Clippers before addressing Lillard.