Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Motiejunas, Deng, Jokic

December 3rd, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nets signed Donatas Motiejunas to an offer sheet on Friday and the timing of it was no accident, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Brooklyn hopes that by waiting until after November 23 to sign Motiejunas, the Rockets will further consider not matching, as that was the last day they could have signed him and still been allowed to trade him this season. If Houston matches now, the big man can’t be traded for a full year without his consent.

Stein also notes that Brooklyn hired former longtime Rockets executive Gianluca Pascucci as its director of international scouting during the offseason and there’s likely a correlation between the hiring of Pascucci and the Nets offer to Motiejunas.

Here’s more from around the league:

Luol Deng is struggling in his first season with the Lakers and the chatter about whether he fits in on Los Angeles’ young, promising team is expected to continue, Stein adds in the same piece. Deng signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in the offseason.
Nikola Jokic will miss at least a week as he recovers from a sprained wrist, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. “Talking to Nikola, he wants to play right when he can catch the ball,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I think we’ll probably be a little more cautious than that on this road trip, maybe get it looked at again just to kind of see where it’s at once the swelling goes down.”
Jake Rauchbach of Basketball Insiders examines how Russell Westbrook and James Harden are producing eye-popping numbers on the Thunder and Rockets, respectively. Both players signed extensions with their respective teams this offseason.

Eric Gordon's Value To The Rockets

December 2nd, 2016 at 10:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In a piece by Michael Pina of RealGM, the scribe examined what Eric Gordon brings to the Rockets, his value as a player and what he can do to successfully resurrect his career in Houston this season.

Nets Sign Donatas Motiejunas To Offer Sheet

December 2nd, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 2nd, 6:52pm: Brooklyn has signed Motiejunas to a four-year, $37MM offer sheet, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). The arrangement includes non-guaranteed seasons in years three and four, Wojnarowski tweets. Houston will have until Monday to match the offer.

DECEMBER 1st, 11:16am: Motiejunas could sign an offer sheet from the Nets as soon as Friday, league sources tell Wojnarowski. The Rockets, who would have 72 hours to match, have “held a strong interest” in matching any offer and retaining Motiejunas, though the money and guaranteed years included in the Nets’ offer will obviously be crucial, says Wojnarowski.

10:52am: Five months after the top free agents of 2016 began meeting with teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (via Twitter) that the Nets hosted restricted free agent Donatas Motiejunas for a visit and a physical. According to Wojnarowski, Brooklyn is weighing the possibility of signing Motiejunas to an offer sheet.

ESPN’s Marc Stein, who has been on top of the Motiejunas situation throughout the fall, adds (via Twitter) that nothing will be finalized before Friday, but a deal with the Nets seems likely. Per Stein (via Twitter), the Nets are “comfortable” with Motiejunas’ medical situation and are currently planning an offer sheet for the veteran forward.

Motiejunas, the NBA’s last unsigned RFA of 2016, received a qualifying offer worth about $4.4MM from the Rockets back in June. However, the 26-year-old didn’t reach an agreement with Houston or sign an offer sheet with a rival suitor during the offseason, and that qualifying offer expired in October. Motiejunas can no longer sign his one-year QO, but remains a restricted free agent, meaning Houston still has the right of first refusal should he strike a deal with another team, such as the Nets.

The Rockets reportedly put a two-year offer on the table for Motiejunas, worth about $7MM guaranteed in year one. However, as of November 23, the team was no longer able to re-sign Motiejunas and trade him prior to this season’s February 23 trade deadline, since players signing new contracts can’t be traded for three months. When that date passed, Houston reportedly pulled its offer, leaving Motiejunas’ reps to engaged other potential suitors about a deal.

Since Motiejunas appears to be seeking more than $7MM annually on a multiyear contract, only teams with cap room have the flexibility to make him a competitive offer, assuming he stays in the NBA. A club like Brooklyn, which is still well below the salary floor for 2016/17 and doesn’t have a long-term answer at the four, is a logical fit for the veteran power forward.

Of course, the Nets ventured into the restricted free agent market earlier this year, signing Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe to lucrative four-year offer sheets. Those offer sheets were matched by the Heat and Trail Blazers, respectively, leaving Brooklyn somewhat empty-handed in free agency. However, the club is in a good position to put pressure on the over-the-cap Rockets. As our salary cap snapshot shows, the Nets currently have more than $18MM in cap room. They also don’t have a ton of money committed in future seasons, with about $58MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2017/18, and just $5.5MM for 2018/19.

Although Motiejunas struggled to stay healthy last season and his production took a significant hit, he looked like a player on the rise in 2014/15, when he averaged 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG to go along with a .504 FG% and a .368 3PT%. He has been plagued by back troubles in recent years, creating some long-term uncertainty about his health and limiting his market.

If Brooklyn signs Motiejunas to an offer sheet that Houston is unwilling to match, the Nets need to create an opening on their 15-man roster in order to officially add the RFA forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rockets Hope To Keep Motiejunas

December 2nd, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets are very interested in keeping Donatas Motiejunas, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Lithuanian power forward has been meeting with the Nets and is expected to receive an offer sheet, possibly by today. Even though Houston pulled its latest offer to Motiejunas last month, the organization will strongly consider matching whatever offer Brooklyn presents. “We’re big fans of Donatas,” said GM Daryl Morey. “We hope to have him at some point this year.”

Warriors Rumors: Durant, Jones, New Arena

December 1st, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant has quickly assimilated himself into the Warriors’ offense and his production is comparable to his MVP season in 2013/14, Sam Amick of USA Today points out. Durant is on pace to have the most efficient season of all time for a player averaging at least 25 points a game, Amick notes. The perennial All-Star forward has posted a player efficiency rating of 30.7, higher than the 29.8 PER he had during that MVP season with the Thunder. Unlike the struggles of the Heat’s Big Three during their first season together, the Warriors are already maximizing the talents of Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, as they are taking nearly the same amount of shots, Amick continues. The Warriors are averaging 117.6 points a game, which would make them the most prolific offense since the 1991-92 Warriors, Amick adds.

In other Warriors news:

First-round pick Damian Jones is unlikely to claim a rotation spot this season, GM Bob Myers said in a radio interview that was relayed on CSNBayArea.com. Jones has been shuttling between the Warriors and the team’s D-League affiliate the past two weeks after recovering from a pectoral injury. The 7-footer out of Vanderbilt has yet to make his NBA debut. He is averaging 2.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over 19.4 minutes per contest with the Santa Cruz Warriors. “It’s gonna be hard to crack our rotation,” Myers told radio station 95.7 The Game. “He hasn’t played basketball in seven months. He needs to play a lot more basketball. But we’re encouraged.
Rockets star guard James Harden wasn’t upset that Durant left the Rockets off his list of teams that he visited during free agency last summer, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “It would have been nice for a visit,” Harden told Watkins. “For himself and his family, he made the decision, and he’s very confident about it.”
Rick Welts, the team’s Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement the franchise plans to break ground soon on a new arena now that another legal hurdle has been cleared, according to Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. The California Appeals Court upheld a previous ruling that declared the Environmental Impact Report for the team’s site on San Francisco’s Mission Bay met all required standards. The ruling is likely to be appealed by the Mission Bay Alliance to the California Supreme Court, Poole continues. The Warriors plan to vacate Oracle Arena after the 2018/19 season and move into Chase Center in 2019, Poole adds.

Not Much Playing Time Available For Harrell

November 27th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Arthur Hill

Second-year Rockets big man Montrezl Harrell is finding his opportunities limited behind Clint Capela and Nene, notes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Circumstances have given Harrell more playing time than usual the past two games, but coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t expect him to become part of the rotation. “Not that I don’t have confidence in him,” D’Antoni said. “I have a lot of confidence in him. It’s just hard. I want to get Clint up to 30 minutes. Clint is playing as well as anybody on our team. If I get him up to 30, that leaves only 18. Now, you’re trying to split time. Is that nine minutes each, 12 minutes for one guy and six [for the other]? In special circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate. If we’re a little sluggish, I wouldn’t hesitate … because I think he brings energy and something different. But it’s hard to play three guys in that role if one guy is taking up 30 minutes. It’s almost impossible. It’s not fair to the other two guys, actually.”

Donatas Motiejunas Closer To Deal Than Believed?

November 25th, 2016 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Within the aforementioned piece, Stein discusses the Donatas Motiejunas situation again, citing one source close to the talks who believe the RFA forward isn’t far away from landing a contract. It’s not clear if that contract would be a new deal with the Rockets, an offer sheet from another NBA team, or an agreement with a team overseas.

Sergio Llull Plans To Play Out Real Madrid Contract

November 25th, 2016 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Spanish guard Sergio Llull remains committed to Real Madrid, stating once again during an interview with COPE radio in Spain that he has no intention of leaving his team in Spain to make the move to the NBA (link via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).

“I’m not in the NBA because I’m happy in Madrid,” Llull said. “Houston has been waiting for me three [or] four years.”

The 34th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Llull has been under Rockets control for more than seven years, but has spent that time with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. An October report from ESPN’s Marc Stein indicated that Houston planned to push to land Llull for the 2017/18 season, and was optimistic about its chances of bringing him stateside. However, the 29-year-old, who signed an extension with Real Madrid last summer, still doesn’t sound overly eager to play in the NBA.

“They tried to convince me, but I am where I want to be in Madrid,” Llull said. “Houston has been very respectful of my decision. They didn’t pressure me, and congratulate me on my success. I’ve never closed the door on the NBA. I live in the present. … I have a contract with Real Madrid until 2021 and I plan on fulfilling it.”

Although Llull’s current deal runs through 2021, it does include an NBA out, so the Rockets could bring him over sooner than that, if he’s interested. A recent report out of Spain indicated that the buyout for Llull’s contract with Real Madrid had increased to 12 million euros with last year’s extension, but Stein suggested that the buyout isn’t “nearly as onerous” as that report suggests — one of Stein’s sources describes the cost as “manageable.”

In 2015/16, Llull averaged 12.1 PPG and 4.9 APG in Spanish League play, while adding 12.8 PPG and 4.6 APG in 24 Euroleague games. So far this year, playing alongside former NBA vets like Anthony Randolph, Gustavo Ayon, Rudy Fernandez, and Andres Nocioni, Llull has been even better, averaging 13.3 PPG and 6.0 APG in eight Spanish League contests, and 19.4 PPG and 5.8 APG in nine Euroleague games. Real Madrid has a combined record of 14-3 in those games.

Suns Notes: Williams, Ulis, Bender, Warren

November 24th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending last Thanksgiving in China, Phoenix native Alan Williams has landed his “dream job” with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The 23-year-old big man’s quest to play in the NBA started with a 10-day contract with Phoenix in March. He chose the Suns over the Rockets, who were willing to sign him for the remainder of the season. Williams’ gamble paid off when Phoenix gave him a multi-year contract, and his $875K salary for this season became guaranteed in September. He is averaging 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and posted two double-doubles last week. Suns coach Earl Watson believes Williams has a 10-year career ahead.

There’s more news out of Phoenix:

After seeing almost no action in his first 12 games, Tyler Ulis is becoming a reliable backup point guard, Coro writes in a separate story. The 5’10” rookie has averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals over the last four games and is making a case to be part of the regular rotation. “I just come in and try to make the most of my minutes,” Ulis said. “Do what coach and the players want me to do. Get guys involved, get paint touches and get into my man defensively.”
Watson says rookie Dragan Bender has a bright NBA future, but that won’t guarantee playing time right now, Coro adds in the same piece. The Croatian power forward is seeing just 10 minutes per night through the first month of his career. “I think Dragan is going to have amazing opportunities moving forward,” Watson explained. “We understand he’s a big part of our future as a cornerstone. But the NBA is not just as easy as playing guys you like. There’s a lot of things that go into it.”
Small forward T.J. Warren is out indefinitely with a minor head injury, the Suns announced on their website. Warren left a game on Friday after just nine minutes of action and hasn’t played since. Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough said the organization has a policy of being extra cautious with injuries to the head and estimated Warren will be sidelined “a matter of weeks.” Warren has appeared in 13 games, all starts, and is averaging 17.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per night.

Donatas Motiejunas Still Seeking Offers

November 24th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Representatives for Donatas Motiejunas have been contacting teams with cap space in an effort to get an offer for their client, report Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com.

Because Motiejunas remains a restricted free agent, the Rockets would have the option to match any offer sheet he receives. Motiejunas’ camp believes Houston’s offers haven’t been sufficient based on his performance. If the 26-year-old Lithuanian native decides to play overseas, the Rockets would still retain his NBA rights and could match any deal.

Motiejunas is “surprised and upset” that he is still without a contract nearly five months after free agency began. He could have accepted the Rockets’ $4.4MM qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he let it expire October 1st in anticipation of reaching a long-term deal.

Houston pulled its latest contract offer on Tuesday and will reportedly drop the monetary amount of any future offer. A source told ESPN that if talks resume, the next offer would be at least $1MM smaller for the first season. The Rockets’ last offer reportedly included roughly $7MM in guaranteed first-year salary with team options beyond that. Houston officials considered November 23rd to be an unofficial deadline to reach an agreement because it was the last day Motiejunas could have signed and still been eligible for a trade at the February 23rd deadline.

The Rockets are reluctant to make a long-term commitment to Motiejunas because of his history of back problems. He played just 37 games last season, and a trade to Detroit in February was rescinded after he failed a physical. Second-year forwards Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell have filled in for Motiejunas during Houston’s 9-6 start.