Rockets Sign, Waive Christian Vital
The Rockets have signed and waived former Connecticut point guard Christian Vital, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. He will likely wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley after clearing waivers.
Vital, 24, signed to play in Germany last year after going undrafted. However, his contract was later terminated and he wound up in the G League bubble with the Memphis Hustle. He was briefly in training camp with the Grizzlies last December, also on a sign-and-waive arrangement.
Vital received first-team honors in the American Athletic Conference as a senior in 2020, averaging 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
Knicks Notes: Fournier, Walker, Selden, Knight
The Knicks were 4-0 in the preseason, but everything didn’t go perfectly, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. One concern is the adjustment of free agent addition Evan Fournier, who is still trying to find his shot. He connected at just 35.5% from the field during the four games and 30% from three-point range.
New York gave Fournier a four-year deal worth up to $78MM to boost the team’s outside shooting. Coach Tom Thibodeau dismissed concerns about his preseason struggles, but said he wants Fournier and new backcourt partner Kemba Walker to be more assertive with the ball.
“(Fournier’s) too good of a shooter,’’ Thibodeau said. “I thought Kemba also was almost a little too unselfish. When the ball is coming to them, I want them to be who they are. I don’t want them trying to fit in and then they get themselves out of rhythm. I know they’re unselfish players by nature. Just be aggressive. Be who you are. When you have your shots, you take them, and that’s the way I want our whole team to play.”
There’s more from New York:
- Today’s cuts mean Wayne Selden has a spot on the 15-man roster, but it might not last long, Berman tweets. Selden’s contract is non-guaranteed, and Thibodeau said the Knicks could decide to add someone who gets waived by another team (Twitter link).
- After signing and waiving veteran guard Brandon Knight today, the Knicks intend for him to join their G League affiliate in Westchester, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The 29-year-old was out of the league last season after playing a combined 25 games for the Cavaliers and Pistons in 2019/20.
- The Knicks will have a different look this year, but expectations haven’t changed, per Steve Popper of Newsday. New York figures to have more firepower on offense with the new backcourt, and Julius Randle is looking forward to playing alongside two high-scoring guards. “Evan and Kemba, those are guys you really have to account for on the offensive end,” Randle said. “They can shoot, score the ball, make plays. Our biggest thing is we’ve got to continue to lock up every night, play defense. I’m excited about it. They’re obviously two experienced, veteran players who have accomplished a lot in this league and I think it will be great for us.”
Celtics Notes: Mathews, Two-Way Slot, Langford, Williams
Garrison Mathews, who was released by the Celtics earlier today, turned down a two-way contract with the team, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Mathews is hoping to receive a standard contract from another organization, sources tell Weiss. He has returned home to examine possible opportunities and doesn’t plan to play overseas.
Mathews was reluctant to accept Boston’s offer because he doesn’t believe the team will consider converting either of its two-way players to standard deals because of its tax situation, Weiss adds. Mathews is a similar player to Sam Hauser, who holds the Celtics’ other two-way slot, and he decided that he’s better off pursuing at least a two-way deal with another team.
Mathews, who will turn 25 next week, isn’t expected to join the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine like the three other players who were waived today. He spent the past two seasons as a two-way player with the Wizards, averaging 5.5 PPG and shooting 38.9% from three-point range in 82 total games.
There’s more from Boston:
- Theo Pinson, who was also waived today, is still a candidate for the open two-way slot, Weiss adds. Coach Ime Udoka played Pinson a combined 33 minutes in two preseason games this week, and Weiss reports that he showed some ability on the pick and roll and was impressive on defense. However, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens will see which players become available before making a final decision.
- Romeo Langford capped off an impressive preseason Friday night with a 7-for-9 shooting night, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The third-year shooting guard, who hopes to expand the 15.7 minutes per game he played last season, was in the starting lineup for the last three preseason games. “It’s been good being able to get the run in and with confidence and just being able to go out and play basketball,” Langford said. “Being in the rotation, being in the first group was good to be able to do. Glad for that opportunity.”
- Starting center Robert Williams missed Friday’s game with right knee tendinopathy, but Udoka says it doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern and he likely would have played if it were a regular-season game, Terada adds in the same piece. “He just had some soreness yesterday and early this morning,” Udoka said after the game. “Tested it at shootaround, tested it before the game and he felt a little soreness. So we just were on the safe side and obviously a preseason game. … He’ll be ready to go against New York (on opening night).”
Raptors Waive Ishmail Wainright
The Raptors have placed Ishmail Wainright on waivers, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter links). That could clear the way for Sam Dekker and Isaac Bonga to make the team’s 15-man roster, though the final roster deadline isn’t until Monday.
Wainwright, 27, had been playing overseas since going undrafted out of Baylor in 2017. Murphy expects other teams to have interest in Wainwright because of his versatility on defense.
Dekker, a 2015 first-round pick, has been out of the league since the end of the 2018/19 season. He spent time in Russia and Turkey before getting an opportunity with Toronto.
Bonga signed with the Raptors as an unrestricted free agent this summer after the Wizards opted not to give him a qualifying offer. The 2018 second-round pick started 49 of 66 games in 2019/20, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 18.9 MPG. His playing time dropped dramatically this past season, as he played in 40 games (eight starts) and posted modest stats (2.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG in 10.8 MPG).
Toronto will take on some dead money for Wainright if he goes unclaimed on waivers, since he had some partial guarantees on his minimum-salary contract. He’s owed $250K this season and $125K in 2022/23.
Dekker and Bonga have partial guarantees too, but their salaries for 2021/22 will reportedly become fully guaranteed if they make the opening-night roster. If the Raptors want to avoid locking in both of those cap hits, they could still decide to cut one of them before Monday’s deadline.
Bucks Waive Four Players
The Bucks have trimmed their roster by waiving four players, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
Jalen Lecque, Tremont Waters and Javin DeLaurier were all let go, along with Wenyen Gabriel, who was signed and waived today. All four are candidates to join Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, after clearing waivers.
Lecque played four games with the Pacers last season after getting into five the previous year as a rookie with the Suns. He signed a training camp deal with the Bucks on Friday.
Waters was a second-round pick by the Celtics in 2019 and spent the past two years in Boston. DeLaurier played for the Hornets’ affiliate in the G League last season and was with the Hawks during Summer League. Gabriel has appeared in 51 combined games with the Kings, Trail Blazers and Pelicans.
Nuggets Waive Nik Stauskas
The Nuggets have waived Nik Stauskas, who signed with the team earlier today, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. Stauskas is expect to land with Denver’s new G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, once he clears waivers.
The well-traveled shooting guard began his career in 2014 when the Kings selected him with the eighth pick in the draft. After one year in Sacramento, Stauskas spent time with the Sixers, Nets, Blazers and Cavaliers. He appeared in 335 games with career averages of 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.9% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range.
Stauskas has been out of the NBA since the end of the 2018/19 season, although he was with the Bucks in training camp last year. He spent part of the 2019/20 season in Spain and played for Raptors 905 in the G League last season.
Jazz Convert Malik Fitts’ Contract To Two-Way, Waive Nino Johnson
Malik Fitts, who came to camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, has earned a two-way deal with the Jazz, the team announced in a press release.
The 24-year-old power forward, who played three games for the Clippers last season, signed with Utah in late September, just before the start of training camp. He appeared in four preseason games, averaging 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.8 minutes per night.
Fitts, who also spent time in the G League last season, impressed Jazz officials with his play during camp and the preseason, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
The Jazz waived Nino Johnson, who signed with the team on Thursday, according to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Johnson is likely headed to Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City.
Grizzlies Exercise 2022/23 Options For Morant, Clarke, Bane
The Grizzlies have picked up the fourth-year options for Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke and the third-year option on Desmond Bane, the team announced (via Twitter). The moves were expected as all three players deliver a level of production that exceeds their salaries for the 2022/23 season.
Morant, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, was named Rookie of the Year in 2020 and helped Memphis reach the playoffs last season. He will make $12.1MM next season and will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension in July.
Clarke, who was selected 21st in 2019, has been a consistent bench player and part-time starter during both of his years with the Grizzlies. He will earn $4.3MM in 2022/23 and will also be eligible for an extension next summer.
Bane, the 30th pick in 2020, was acquired in a draft-night trade and had a productive rookie year, starting 17 of the 68 games he played. He will make $2.13MM during the 2022/23 season.
Memphis elected not to pick up the $8.1MM fourth-year option for Jarrett Culver, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. Culver, who was acquired from the Timberwolves in an August trade, will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Spurs Sign, Waive Damyean Dotson, Jordan Burns
OCTOBER 14: Dotson and Burns have been waived, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. Both will likely wind up with the Austin Spurs once they clear waivers.
OCTOBER 13: Free agent guard Damyean Dotson is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Spurs, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. The team is listing Dotson as a roster member on its website, so the deal appears to be official.
Dotson, 27, played 46 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 6.7 points and 2.0 assists per night. He had a non-guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, but Cleveland waived him last month. Dotson was a second-round pick by the Knicks in 2017 and spent his first three NBA seasons in New York.
Dotson will fill the roster spot vacated when San Antonio waived Luka Samanic on Monday.
Like Dotson, rookie guard Jordan Burns is listed as a member of the Spurs’ roster on the team’s official website, so it appears his reported deal is done as well. The two signings give San Antonio 19 players under contract.
2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Houston Rockets
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves, examine what still needs to be done before opening night, and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Houston Rockets.
Free agent signings:
Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.
Daniel Theis: Four years, $35.61MM. Fourth-year team option. Acquired via sign-and-trade.- David Nwaba: Three years, $15.07MM. Third-year team option. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Dante Exum: Three years, $15MM. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Base value of $7.5MM, with $7.5MM in likely incentives and $1.22MM in unlikely incentives. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Anthony Lamb: Two-way contract. Accepted two-way qualifying offer as restricted free agent.
Two-way conversions:
- Armoni Brooks: Four years, minimum salary. Second and third years non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option. Converted using mid-level exception.
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Alperen Sengun (No. 16 pick) from the Thunder in exchange for the Pistons’ 2022 first-round pick (top-16 protected) and the Wizards’ 2023 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Acquired Daniel Theis (sign-and-trade) from the Bulls in exchange for cash ($1.1MM).
- Acquired Sekou Doumbouya and the Nets’ 2024 second-round pick from the Nets in exchange for cash ($110K).
- Note: Doumbouya has since been waived.
Draft picks:
- 1-2: Jalen Green
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $40,808,448).
- 1-16: Alperen Sengun
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $15,550,974).
- 1-23: Usman Garuba
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $11,805,395).
- 1-24: Josh Christopher
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $11,463,215).
Contract extensions:
- None
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- The Rockets and John Wall agreed that he’ll sit out of games as the team works to find him a new home.
- Hired Chris Wallace and Matt Bullard in front office roles.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
- Carrying approximately $131.9MM in salary.
- $8,046,935 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($1,489,065 used on Armoni Brooks).
- Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
- Two traded player exceptions available, including one worth $1.8MM.
Lingering preseason issues:
- The Rockets have 16 players with guaranteed contracts, so someone will needed to be traded or released before the regular season begins.
- John Wall is technically eligible for a veteran contract extension until October 18, though he’s more likely to be traded or bought out than extended.
- Danuel House is eligible for a veteran contract extension all season.
The Rockets’ offseason:
After eight straight years in the playoffs, the Rockets stumbled into an unwanted rebuilding process last season. James Harden came to training camp with trade demands and intensified them until the team had no choice but to move him in mid-January. He was sent to Brooklyn for a package that was loaded with future draft picks, but didn’t offer much immediate help. What followed was a free fall that left Houston with the league’s worst record at 17-55.
The first step toward rebuilding came with a little bit of luck on lottery night. Faced with the prospect of losing their first-round pick to the Thunder if it dropped out of the top five, the Rockets landed the No. 2 selection and used it to draft Jalen Green, an electrifying scorer from the G League Ignite who brings a mix of shot-making and athleticism that prompts some scouts to view him as a future contender for the scoring title.
Houston had two other first-round selections in hand from previous trades, then made another deal on draft night, sending two future picks to Oklahoma City for the chance to draft center Alperen Sengun at No. 16. The Turkish League MVP combines with Green and fellow first-rounders Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher to give the Rockets a collection of young talent to build around.
Houston was relatively quiet on the free agent market, but the team did land center Daniel Theis in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls that wound up being a straight cash deal. Theis brings a rugged interior presence that the Rockets didn’t have last season and frees up big man Christian Wood to spend more time on the perimeter.
Outside of the draft, the major news of the offseason was an agreement with John Wall that will keep the veteran guard off the floor until management can trade him. Wall’s hefty salary — he’s owed $44.3MM this season and has a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23 — and his injury history have made it tough to find a trading partner, and the Rockets have expressed a reluctance to attach any first-round picks or take back unwanted salary in return. Unless that changes, or both sides decide a buyout is in their best interest, Wall will serve as a virtual assistant coach while Kevin Porter Jr. takes over at point guard.
Also facing an uncertain future in Houston is Eric Gordon, who will turn 33 in December and doesn’t fit the rebuilding timeline. Gordon, one of the few veterans who wasn’t moved last season, is reportedly open to being traded, and there were rumors that he might be on the move before the draft. The Rockets gave Gordon a new contract while they were still contenders, and it will pay him $18.2MM this season and $19.5MM next year, with a non-guaranteed $20.9MM salary for 2023/24. The team wouldn’t mind getting that money off its books, but as long as he remains in Houston, Gordon will join Wall in serving as a mentor to the young players, although he’ll be able to do some of his teaching on the court.
The Rockets see Porter as their answer at point guard and a perfect backcourt partner for Green. The team sent Porter to the G League to learn the position after trading for him last season, and he showed plenty of promise in 26 games after being recalled. The front office believes Porter, Wood, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae’Sean Tate provide a good core to complement this year’s draft haul.
Defensive lapses were a recurring issue last season, and the Rockets tried to address them by re-signing two veterans who excel on that end of the court. David Nwaba, who bounced back from a torn Achilles tendon to play 30 games last season, was rewarded with a three-year deal. Dante Exum also received a three-year contract, but because of his injury-filled past, it’s loaded with incentives and only carries a $2.5MM guarantee.
The Rockets’ upcoming season:
The Rockets may not win much more than they did last season, but it feels like the franchise is pointed in the right direction. Head coach Stephen Silas suffered through a chaotic first year on the job as roster moves, COVID-19 and a slew of injuries forced him to adjust his lineup nearly every game.
Player development will be the focus of the upcoming season as all four of Houston’s first-round picks are 19 years old. No matter how good they turn out to be, they’ll need time to adjust to the pace and talent level of the NBA. Garuba and Christopher may spend part of their rookie season in the G League to get regular playing time.
The Rockets appear headed back to the lottery, but the upcoming season offers a chance to further shape their future. Finding deals for Wall and Gordon will be a priority as the team hopes to create more opportunities for its young players and create some cap flexibility going forward. The offseason brought plenty of hope to Houston fans, but they may have to wait longer for the team to start winning again.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post. Luke Adams contributed to this post.