Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal

June 6th, 2025 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Suns have made multiple calls to the Rockets about Kevin Durant since the end of the season and have “gradually lowered” their asking price for the star forward during those discussions. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links) strongly disputes those claims, referring to them as “beyond untrue.”

According to Gambadoro, the Suns haven’t spoken to the Rockets since February and had put a potential Durant trade on the back-burner while they hired a new general manager and head coach. Now that those tasks have been crossed off their offseason to-do list, they’ll begin having conversations with potential trade partners about Durant, Gambadoro adds.

During a TV appearance on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated – as he reported during the season – that there was some mutual interest between Durant and the Knicks prior to February’s trade deadline. According to Charania, New York made an offer for Durant at that time.

A deal involving Devin Booker‘s former Kentucky teammate Karl-Anthony Towns would probably be the simplest way for the Knicks to acquire Durant, since Towns and KD will have very similar cap figures next season. But Gambadoro said during Thursday’s Burns & Gambo show (Twitter video link) that he has heard the Suns don’t have interest in Towns and would prefer a return centered around OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges if they were to make a trade with the Knicks.

Charania cited sources this week who said that Durant is expected to draw serious interest from approximately four to six teams this summer.

Charania has previously identified New York, Golden State, Minnesota, Houston, San Antonio, and Miami as clubs who expressed some level of interest prior to the trade deadline, though it’s not clear whether all of those teams would renew their interest during the offseason. During the Burns & Gambo clip linked above, Gambadoro also pointed to the Clippers as a team to watch for Durant.

Of course, Durant won’t be the Suns’ only big-name trade candidate to monitor in the coming weeks. Bradley Beal is also expected to be on the trade block, but will be far more difficult to move due to his salary (nearly $111MM over the next two years) relative to his production, as well as the fact that his contract contains a no-trade clause.

According to Gambadoro (Twitter links), the Suns don’t want to bring back Beal, but he may be prove to be unmovable this summer, as he was prior to the trade deadline. If that’s the case, the club is expected to explore the possibility of a buyout, but there’s no guarantee that the veteran guard would go for that idea.

If Beal can’t be traded or bought out, the Suns would have to keep him and try to rebuild his value, per Gambadoro (Twitter link), who notes that head coaching candidates during Phoenix’s interview process were asked how they’d use the three-time All-Star.

Barnes, Stewart, Vassell Candidates For Jamaican National Team

June 5th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell are in discussions to join Jamaica’s men’s basketball team, reports Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link).

Clippers wing Norman Powell has already committed to represent Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, as has Timberwolves forward Josh Minott, according to Blake (Twitter link).

Rockets wing Amen Thompson and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson may also represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics. Blake hears the Thompson twins began the process of applying for Jamaican passports last week — their father is from Jamaica.

Blake previously mentioned Suns center Nick Richards, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as another candidate to join the national team.

If Jamaica is able to secure the commitments of all the aforementioned NBA players, the country would become a formidable opponent in international competitions. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Star Barnes is the most accomplished of the group, and all but Minott have established themselves as at least solid rotation players in the NBA.

D.J. Augustin Joining Rockets’ Front Office

June 5th, 2025 at 1:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA point guard D.J. Augustin formally announced his retirement as a player in November. Now, he’s transitioning to a new role.

Sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic that Augustin is being hired by the Rockets and will have a job in their front office (Twitter link). Augustin confirmed the news to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.

Augustin had two separate stints with Houston at the end of his long playing career. The 37-year-old, who played high school ball in Texas, also played two years at the University of Texas at Austin prior to being selected No. 9 overall in the 2008 draft.

Augustin appeared in 976 regular season games (334 starts) with 11 different teams over the course of his 15 NBA seasons, averaging 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 23.4 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting slash line of .412/.381/.867.

When he announced his retirement on Instagram, Augustin suggested that he would be looking to remain involved with basketball in some capacity.

“I may be retiring as a player, but I’ll always be connected to this game we all love,” he wrote in November.

Knicks Coaching Notes: Thibodeau, R. Brunson, Udoka, Hurley

June 4th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite enjoying the most successful tenure of any Knicks head coach this century by a mile, Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his duties following a six-game Eastern Conference Finals defeat by Indiana.

According to Ian Begley and Alex Smith of SNY.tv, Thibodeau will not be given a role in president Leon Rose‘s front office going forward. The three-year, $30MM contract extension he inked with the team last summer has yet to kick in, but the team will simply eat that money.

Thibodeau brought the Knicks to four playoff appearances during his five seasons in charge, posting a 226-174 regular season record and a 24-23 playoff record.

There’s more out of New York:

In another SNY.tv story, Begley says he doesn’t believe the Knicks’ next head coach will be made to hold onto assistant Rick Brunson. However, Begley wonders if firing Brunson – the father of Jalen Brunson – might get the new coach’s relationship with the team’s All-NBA point guard on the wrong foot. The elder Brunson worked under Thibodeau throughout Thibs’ stint with the team.
Although Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has been floated as a possible next Knicks coach, a team source confirms to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko (via Twitter) that Houston does not intend to make him available. That’s also what Marc Stein reported when he first identified Udoka as someone who would be of interest to the Knicks.
Two-time champion UConn coach Dan Hurley has indicated he has no interest in taking the Knicks gig, per Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant. “Not another summer of that,” Hurley said, alluding to the Lakers’ 2024 pursuit of his services. Sources tell Dan Burges of The New Haven Register that the Huskies aren’t seriously worried about the possibility that Hurley would leave.

Texas Notes: J. Green, Rockets, Draft, Mavericks

June 4th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Jeff Green intends to play two more seasons in the league — and he hopes both are with Houston, writes Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle.

Green, 38, is an unrestricted free agent this summer after agreeing to a two-year, $16MM deal with the Rockets upon winning his first title for Denver in 2023.

The 6’8″ pro averaged just 12.4 minutes per game in 2024/25, by far his lowest mark in any of his 17 healthy NBA seasons. Across 32 contests, the Georgetown alum averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. He was not a part of head coach Ime Udoka‘s rotations in the playoffs.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

Following an encouraging 2024/25 season that included their first playoff stint since the James Harden days, the Rockets could be in for an intriguing offseason. In a new piece, Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle checks in on the contract situations for each of Houston’s players and considers what’s in store for them.
The Mavericks reportedly intend to hold on to the No. 1 pick in this month’s draft, but ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Zach Kram, Kevin Pelton and Andre Snellings cook up several trade ideas that could convince Dallas to reconsider. Proposed offers include an asset deal with San Antonio, a four-team blockbuster with Cleveland, the Lakers and Chicago, and a Suns deal that would send Devin Booker to Dallas.
In a mailbag, Christian Clark of The Athletic expresses a belief that former Duke forward Cooper Flagg, the anticipated top pick in the draft, could be good enough for the Mavericks to make a deep playoff run if they can find a guard capable of filling in for Kyrie Irving in the short term and meshing alongside him if Irving can be back in time for the postseason. Clark believes that, should 2025/26 go south, the team’s front office could look to rebuild around Flagg and ditch aging stars Irving and Anthony Davis. Elsewhere in the mailbag, Clark breaks down the fits of possible offseason targets like Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, and Coby White as lead guards while Irving recovers from his ACL tear.

Nets Notes: Draft Trades, Johnson, Fears, Bridges Deal

June 4th, 2025 at 11:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets possess four first-round picks in this month’s draft, including the No. 8 overall selection. They are reportedly pursuing another top-10 pick, NetsDaily tweets.

According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn may try to move its second-highest pick at No. 19 and Cameron Johnson to the Raptors for the No. 9 pick or the Rockets at No. 10, taking back a “bad contract” in the process. However, both of those teams might be a little reluctant to move their picks before learning whether Milwaukee makes Giannis Antetokounmpo available, as Toronto and Houston are both regarded as potential landing spots for the Bucks’ superstar.

Here’s more on the Nets:

The Nets are positioned to follow the blueprint that led the Pacers and Thunder to the Finals, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Both of those organizations chose to find young, defensive-minded players with rotations that go 10-deep, rather than stacking three superstars and fitting low-cost pieces around them.
Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board and NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan takes a long look at whether Fears could be the Nets’ long-term solution at the point. Kaplan notes that Fears, 18, had a high usage rate for an Southeastern Conference team and many defenders couldn’t stay in front of him, often resorting to fouling him.
In this year’s draft alone, the Nets acquired the Nos. 19, 26 and 36 picks from the Mikal Bridges trade. How they use those picks will help determine whether the Nets or Knicks wind up as the ultimate winner in the deal, according to another NetsDaily.com story.

Latest On Knicks’ Coaching Job

June 4th, 2025 at 10:21am CST by Dana Gauruder

While numerous rival NBA executives believed that the Knicks had a replacement lined up before firing Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, that’s not the case, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

The Knicks have fostered the notion that this decision was made by team president Leon Rose but many of the same executives are skeptical of that story, Stein says, considering Rose’s close ties to Thibodeau and the fact that Rose insisted on hiring him.

Meanwhile, numerous league observers acquainted with the inner workings of the Knicks organization believe owner James Dolan has been a “non-fan” of Thibodeau for a long time. Dolan reportedly sat in on post-season meetings with key players.

Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks are the Mavericks‘ Jason Kidd and Rockets‘ Ime Udoka. However, Stein hears that Houston would deny any attempts by the Knicks to interview Udoka and the Mavs would likely do the same regarding Kidd, though he could not immediately confirm that.

Kidd, who played for the Knicks and interviewed for their head coaching job in 2020, has two seasons left on a contract extension he received during last season’s playoffs. He has also has close ties to Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Knicks are expected to pursue in trade talks if Milwaukee makes him available.

Among available coaches, former Villanova coach Jay Wright and Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant — a finalist for Phoenix’s head coaching job — are presumed to be likely candidates. Wright has repeatedly said in the past he’s not interested in coaching in the NBA, though several of his former players are key players for the Knicks.

Here’s more on the Knicks coaching situation:

Numerous sources told Adam Zagoria (Twitter link) that it’s doubtful Wright would come out of retirement to coach the Knicks. Seth Davis, who has worked closely with Wright at CBS in recent years, is also extremely skeptical about the idea that Wright would want the job (Twitter link).
Their search will include college coaches and won’t be limited to current assistants or former NBA head coaches, Kris Pursiainen of Clutch Points tweets.
The Knicks better find their “Joe Torre,” who won multiple championship with the Yankees, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines, arguing that the decision to dump Thibodeau makes no sense otherwise.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reiterates that he’s hearing former Nuggets coach Michael Malone is not a candidate.

Rockets Rumors: Adams, Lopez, VanVleet, Holiday, Durant, More

June 3rd, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of Rockets veterans, including Steven Adams, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate, are headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Of those UFAs, Adams is viewed as the team’s “clear priority,” sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Green and/or Tate won’t be back, but they may be minimum-salary options for Houston, whereas it will almost certainly take more than that to re-sign Adams, who became an important part of the club’s rotation late in the season. The Rockets are operating under the assumption that the veteran center wants to return, Iko writes, and are expected to continue talking to him about a new contract.

Adams is extension-eligible now and could be signed to a new deal prior to free agency, but if the two sides can’t work something out, Houston may circle back to Brook Lopez, team sources tell Iko. Lopez was a top Rockets target during the 2023 free agent period and came close to making the move to Houston at that time before deciding to remain in Milwaukee.

The Rockets also hold team options for 2025/26 on a pair of guards: Fred VanVleet ($44.9MM) and Aaron Holiday ($4.9MM). The expectation is that VanVleet will return to Houston, either on his team option or on a new contract, Iko writes. The Rockets are also interested in retaining Holiday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his option will be picked up — the club may wait to get a better sense of how its offseason and the league-wide market are playing out before making a decision on the reserve guard, Iko explains.

Here’s more from Iko on the Rockets:

While Houston would like to keep its young core together, the team is willing to consider the possibility of a significant trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered a top target, though it remains to be seen whether the Bucks will actually make him available, Iko writes. The Suns, conversely, have made multiple calls to the Rockets since the end of the season about the possibility of a deal that sends Kevin Durant to Houston and sends some of the Suns’ draft assets back to Phoenix, team sources tell The Athletic. The asking price for Durant has been “gradually lowered” over the course of those calls, according to Iko, who says the Rockets would be interested if the price is modest enough, despite their desire to keep their core intact.
The Rockets also anticipate having trade conversations with the Celtics‘ front office this summer, given Boston’s reported desire to reduce its payroll, says Iko.
The expectation is that Reed Sheppard will have a “vastly expanded role” in 2025/26 after playing sparingly as a rookie, Iko reports. The Rockets remain very high on last year’s No. 3 overall pick, viewing him as a player whose floor-spacing abilities can help in the short term and whose long-term ceiling is high.
Houston has received inquiries from rivals about former first-rounder Cam Whitmore, as well as this year’s No. 10 overall pick, per Iko. The Rockets remain optimistic about Whitmore’s outlook and potential rotation role, and neither he nor his representatives have asked for a change of scenery, so nothing is imminent on that front, Iko reports. As for this year’s lottery pick, Houston is open to discussing a variety of scenarios, including trading down, trading out of the first round, or packaging that pick with a player to upgrade the roster.
Although the Rockets’ front office is expected to engage in rookie scale extension negotiations with Jabari Smith and Tari Eason this offseason, team sources tell Iko that the club would be comfortable with the idea of matching an offer sheet for either player in 2026 if no agreements are reached this year.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, B. Williams, Grizzlies, Jackson

May 31st, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

League sources who have spoken to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports expect the Rockets to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick in next month’s draft. As O’Connor writes, while a move up or down is possible, a trade could also mean moving out of the first round altogether, either as part of a package for an impact player or in exchange for future draft assets, similar to what San Antonio did last year with the No. 8 overall selection.

Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, played an extremely limited role for a deep Houston team this past season, even though the front office was repeatedly said to be very high on him. A similar fate could be in store for this year’s 10th overall pick if the Rockets hang onto that selection, O’Connor notes.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

With Kyrie Irving‘s recovery from ACL surgery expected to extend well into 2025/26, the Mavericks will be seeking backcourt help this offseason. However, Brandon Williams – an unsung hero for the banged-up team during the second half of ’24/25 – is preparing to reclaim an increased role if necessary, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Williams, who averaged 15.4 points and 4.1 assists in 24.2 minutes per game across 13 March and April appearances, told Curtis on Friday that he’s well on his way to being fully recovered from an oblique strain that affected him at the end of the season. “Working out every day. Just taking it one day at a time,” Williams said. “Trying to stay sharp on a few things. My ball-handling, shooting, all those types of things. Being the point guard and having everybody just jell together earlier than later in the season.”
Within a preview of the Grizzlies‘ offseason open to non-subscribers, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron digs into what an extension for Jaren Jackson Jr. might look like and explores the idea of Memphis trading using Brandon Clarke‘s $12.5MM salary to trade for help on the wing. In that scenario, Gozlan writes, Memphis could use its room exception to target a big man.
Keith Smith of Spotrac also previews the Grizzlies‘ offseason and covers similar ground, though he takes a closer look at what wing options might be available for the team in free agency using the room exception or non-taxpayer mid-level, depending on whether Memphis operates under or over the cap.

International Notes: Thompson Twins, Micic, Brown, McCollum

May 25th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson may represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics, according to Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link). Blake states that they have begun the process of applying for citizenship, which they’re eligible to do because their father, Troy, is from Jamaica.

Amen, a first-team All-Defensive selection, became a full-time starter for the Rockets midway through the season and gained a reputation as one of the NBA’s most versatile and athletic players. Ausar overcame a health issue that cut short his rookie year and solidified a starting spot with a Pistons team that produced one of the largest single-season improvements in NBA history.

Blake adds (via Twitter) that Jamaica is making a serious upgrade to its basketball program, with Clippers guard Norman Powell already committed to playing in pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer. Blake states that other targets include Suns center Nick Richards, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Olympiacos in Greece is expressing interest in Suns point guard Vasilije Micic, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but that’s unlikely to be exercised because he only got into five games after being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown may be looking to change teams next season with T.J. Shorts expected to join Panathinaikos, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Brown was disappointed with his role in his first season with the Greek powerhouse and wants to find a spot where he can play regularly. “I think I’ve proven myself in this league a bunch of times,” he said. “I just want to play, man, and finish strong. I’ll be 35 in August, but I still have a lot of game left. I can still dunk, still windmill—whatever you need me to do. I just want to play and compete. I think I was a little out of the loop this year. It was a little weird. My brothers fought for me all year. That brotherhood—that’s what matters most.”
Errick McCollum, currently with Fenerbahce in Turkey, told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops that he received NBA offers earlier in his career, but he opted for the security of playing overseas. The 37-year-old point guard is the older brother of the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right,” he said. “Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”