Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Cut Cameron Oliver, Danuel House

October 15th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

In advance of the regular season opener, the Rockets have waived rookie forward Cameron Oliver, and second-year forward Danuel House, according to a press release from the club (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston).

Oliver, a sophomore at Nevada in 2016/17, declared for the draft after a productive season in which he averaged 16.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and an impressive 2.6 BPG. He went undrafted but caught on with the Rockets, who gave him a two-year deal with a $300K guarantee.

House, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M a year ago, spent most of the season with the Wizards, but only appeared in one game for the club. A fractured right wrist sidelined him for a good chunk of the year.

Houston’s investment in Oliver makes it surprising that the team chose to take him off the roster. However, the rookie forward is currently recovering from a fractured right hand and isn’t expected to be re-evaluated until November, which may have impacted the Rockets’ decision.

House is a candidate to end up with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League team. However, Oliver is ineligible to be assigned to the Vipers as an affiliate player, since he received a $300K guarantee. His contract also wasn’t eligible to be converted into a two-way deal.

The Rockets are now carrying 15 total players, including one (Demetrius Jackson) on a two-way contract.

Rockets Sign Danuel House

October 13th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have signed 24-year-old guard Danuel House, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. House played one single minute in one single game for the Wizards last season after going undrafted in 2016.

Considering that Houston already waived four players to knock their roster down to 15 players earlier today, it’s likely that they release House too, with the idea of bringing him aboard their G League team.

New Rockets Owner Open To Selling Shares To Beyoncé

October 11th, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta isn’t planning on bringing in any shareholders, but he indicates that he would make an exception for Houston native Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Scott Soshinick of Bloomberg.com relays.

“I prefer to own 100 percent,” Fertitta said. “If somebody as special as a Beyoncé or somebody like that wanted to come in for a tiny percentage because they wanted to be an ambassador for the team because this is their hometown — would I sit down and discuss it with them? Yeah, I would sit down and discuss it with them. It’s a compliment to have somebody like Beyoncé to want to be a part of your team.”

Beyoncé considered an investment in the franchise when former owner Leslie Alexander put the team on the market over the summer. It’s uncertain whether or not the pop icon has interest in an arrangement with Fertitta.

It’s also unclear whether or not the NBA would allow Beyoncé to become a stakeholder in the team since her husband Jay-Z currently runs the Roc Nation Sports agency, which represents several NBA players. Jay-Z was forced to sell his minority stake in the Nets when he started the agency

It’s fair to speculate that the league would at least sit down with the power couple to discuss the potential issues with Beyoncé owning a slice of the Houston franchise. While there have been no reports indicating that the 20-time Grammy winner would face obstacles from the league on her way to owning a share of the Rockets, the potential for conflict of interest would exist.

It’s becoming more common for North American franchise owners to sell minority shares to celebrities. Justin Timberlake currently owns a piece of the Grizzlies, while Will Smith has a minority stake in the Sixers.

Extension Remains A Possibility For Capela

October 11th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s “nothing substantive” so far between LaVine and the Bulls, but that could change by next Monday, TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his rundown of extension candidates at NBA.com. Aldridge – who examines each 2014 first-rounder individually – is also somewhat bullish on the possibility of new deals for Nurkic, Hood, and Rockets big man Clint Capela.

New Rockets Owner Discusses Front Office, Team

October 10th, 2017 at 7:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Tilman Fertitta, who recently bought the Rockets from Leslie Alexander for $2.2 billion, does not plan on making any immediate changes to the team, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. The Texas businessman will have the final say on future personnel matters that involve the luxury tax, though he will lean heavily on GM Daryl Morey and his staff with decisions that concern basketball operations.

“I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know,” Fertitta said. “On the business side, I’ll be a huge support to [Rockets CEO Tad Brown], not that he needs it. I’m into details. I’m not into micromanaging. But I can tell you this, I thought I knew a lot about basketball. I’ve learned more about basketball in the last 30 days than I learned in the last 30 years, hanging around Daryl and the basketball people. It’s a different technology and a different science than what the fan sees. Like I said, I know what I know and what I don’t know. I just don’t want surprises.

“Are there tough decisions to make? Absolutely. And does the buck stop with me when things are good and they’re bad? Yes, but I rely heavily, heavily, heavily on the people that get up and do this every day.”

Fertitta added that he feels Morey is the “best general manager in the NBA.” Morey pulled off one of his most impressive accomplishments this summer, bringing in Chris Paul in a trade that was made possible in part by a series of smaller deals. The new owner is thrilled to have a pair of superstars on his side.

“To walk into this situation with James Harden and Chris Paul is unbelievable,” Fertitta said. “You’ve got to remember the name of the game is to get to the playoffs, and this is a superstar league. You are not going to get to the playoffs every year and likely make it to the second round if you don’t have a James Harden playing for you. You add a guy like Chris Paul, and you should get to the Western Conference finals.

“That’s the way the league’s going is two or three stars per team. And you know what? If we don’t get where we need to be this year with two superstars … we’re going to make good decisions, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win. I can promise you that.”

Shawn Long Will Play In China

October 10th, 2017 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Sixers big man Shawn Long, who was briefly acquired by the Rockets this summer, has reached a deal with the Xinjiang Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, tweets international writer David Pick.

The 24-year-old signed with Philadelphia last summer after going undrafted out of Louisiana-Lafayette. He was waived before the season started, but rejoined the team in March on a 10-day contract and earned a multi-year deal with a partial guarantee.

The Rockets traded for him in June when they were acquiring several low-salary deals without full guarantees for use in possible trades. Houston waived him September 26, just before a $50K guarantee for this season took effect.

Long got into 18 games for Philadelphia last season, averaging 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13 minutes per night.

Harden Vs. McHale In Media Battle

October 7th, 2017 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets star James Harden is engaged in a verbal battle with former coach Kevin McHale through the media. After McHale said on NBA TV this week that Harden is “not a leader,” the MVP runner-up responded today by calling McHale a “clown,” relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I did anything and everything he asked me to do,” Harden said. “I’ve tried to lead this team every day since I stepped foot here in Houston. To go on air and just downplay my name, when honestly he’s never taught me anything to be a leader … but I’ve done a great job. The organization, my coaches, you can ask any of those guys how I’ve worked extremely hard every single day to better [myself], obviously as a basketball player, but be a leader as well.”

Tilman Fertitta Approved To Buy Rockets

October 6th, 2017 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 6: NBA owners have approved the sale of the Rockets to Fertitta, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. The Houston billionaire was approved 30-0.

SEPTEMBER 5, 9:13am: The Rockets have issued a press release confirming that a “definitive agreement has been signed” for the purchase of the franchise by Fertitta. The deal will require the approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors. According to the Rockets, Fertitta has “no other partners in connection with the transaction.”

8:37am: The sale price for the Rockets will be $2.2 billion, per Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg (Twitter link).

8:34am: Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta has reached an agreement to buy the Rockets from current team owner Leslie Alexander, sources tell Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. According to Berman, the franchise could announce the deal as soon as today.

Rockets CEO Tad Brown announced back in mid-July that Alexander was putting the club up for sale, and we heard just a couple days later that that Fertitta, a Texas native who founded Landry’s restaurants and owns multiple hotels and casinos, was interested in making a bid for the franchise.

“[I] just hope it doesn’t go for crazy numbers,” Fertitta said at the time. “I’ve never really wanted to own a professional team outside of Houston. Houston is my hometown and the place I would prefer to own a professional team.”

Despite Fertitta’s hope that the Rockets wouldn’t sell for “crazy numbers,” it appears he was willing to make a substantial offer to finalize the deal. Confirming that an agreement is in place, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the sale is expected to break the NBA record $2 billion price tag on Steve Ballmer‘s purchase of the Clippers.

Even back in February, before the Rockets won a playoff series, traded for Chris Paul, and extended James Harden, Forbes placed a $1.65 billion valuation on the franchise, and Forbes’ estimates for professional sports teams are often low. Berman notes that Forbes has estimated Fertitta’s net worth to be $3.1 billion.

For Fertitta, while this will be his first time as a controlling owner, it won’t be his first foray into sports franchise ownership. He has previously been a limited partner with the Rockets and the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Although Berman’s report suggests that Fertitta is poised to become the controlling owner of the Rockets, it’s not clear whether he’ll be joined by a series of minority investors or if any big names will be part of his group. Since that July announcement that the Rockets were up for sale, multiple former players – including Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, and Elvin Hayes – have expressed interest in becoming part of an ownership group. Pop star Beyoncé also reportedly had interest in becoming a minority stakeholder in the franchise.

Alexander bought the Rockets for $85MM back in 1993, and has overseen the team since then, including during its two championship seasons in the mid-1990s.

Texas Notes: Curry, Parker, Anthony, Paul

October 4th, 2017 at 8:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is leaning toward Seth Curry as his opening-night starter at shooting guard, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Curry is competing for the position with Yogi Ferrell, who has been working with the first team in practice alongside rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Regardless, Carlisle says Curry “probably” has the edge for the starting position. “I’ve just been real impressed with him the first week and right now, it makes sense,” the coach said. “I’m not saying it’s 100 percent. But we need a consistent scorer and a guy who can guard that position and he’s continued to make strides.”

Curry started 42 of his 70 games a year ago in his first season with Dallas, averaging 12.8 points and 2.7 assists per game. He led the team on a second-half surge after joining the starting lineup in January. Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews are expected to join Curry and Smith as the opening-night starting five.

There’s more NBA news out of Texas:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich offered a health update on Tony Parker, saying the injured point guard could be ready to return in December, relays Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Parker received partial medical clearance last week for training camp and expressed hope that he could return in November from the torn quadriceps tendon that knocked him out of the playoffs. Parker has been approved for weight work, running and shooting, but not for any contact drills. “I think he’s going to be ahead of schedule,” Popovich said. “I kept thinking he might be ready in January or something. He might be ready in December. He’s come along really well.”
After listening to Carmelo Anthony trade rumors all summer, the Rockets are ready to move on, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston was considered the likely landing spot for Anthony right up until he was traded to Oklahoma City. However, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who once coached Anthony in New York, said talks never got far enough that he expected him to join the team. “We’re human. We think about possibilities,” D’Antoni said. “If we can get that guy, look at this. Then reality sets in. I found out if I go play a little bit more golf and quit thinking about it, I’m better off.”
Chris Paul has no doubt that he and James Harden can be an effective backcourt combination for the Rockets, relays Michael Lee of The Vertical. Paul forced a trade from the Clippers over the summer, telling the team he planned to opt out and sign with Houston if it didn’t deal him. “It was definitely time for a change,” Paul said.

Cavaliers Notes: Green, Shumpert, Lue, Patterson

October 4th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After 10 seasons in the NBA, Jeff Green couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play for a championship contender, relays Joe Gabriele of NBA.com. Green took a substantial pay cut to join the Cavaliers, dropping his salary from $15MM last season to the veterans minimum of $2.3MM. He is also relegated to a reserve role, with LeBron James cemented as the team’s starting small forward, but Green said the shot at a ring makes the sacrifices worthwhile.

“That was what I was looking for and that’s what came to my sight – that there was an opportunity here,” said Green, who is with his sixth NBA team. “So I was thankful for it and I couldn’t pass it up; the opportunity was there and I jumped on it. It wasn’t a matter of timing or when it happened. It was just when I got the call and thought about it. And I didn’t have to think long. I wrote down the pros and cons of what I wanted. And this situation fit every ‘pro’ on that list.”

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Coach Tyronn Lue reassured Iman Shumpert about his future with the team following an offseason filled with trade rumors, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers came close to shipping Shumpert to Houston in early July, but the Rockets pulled out of the deal after signing P.J. Tucker. Cleveland continued to search for a trade, but the right partner never emerged. Shumpert was frustrated by the reports and shared that sentiment with Lue in a pre-camp meeting. He was also upset about the way his role diminished late in the season and into the playoffs. Shumpert has a player option on his $11MM salary for next season and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Shumpert needs to become more reliable on offense before the Cavs will trust him against the Warriors, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Shumpert was a non-factor as Cleveland’s season ended in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, getting off the bench for less than four minutes. He has vowed to contribute more on the offensive end of the court, but with a turnover rate of 19% in transition, Lloyd cautions that might not be best for the team.
Andrae Patterson, formerly with Utah’s front office, will join the Cavaliers as director of basketball administration, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The 41-year-old had a brief NBA career with the Timberwolves and played nine seasons in Europe.