Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Rumors: Bucks, Bosh, Lawson, Dedmon

March 5th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks owner Wes Edens denies rumors of dissension within the ownership group, which also consists of principal owners Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel. Milwaukee has been among this season’s most disappointing teams, carrying a 26-36 record after last year’s playoff appearance. Regardless, Edens insists that ownership believes in Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker as the foundation for its future. “It’s definitely disappointing where we are; that’s the bad news,” Edens said. “The good news is, especially since the All-Star break, you look at the team of Giannis and Jabari and Khris, and others of course, and it’s not hard to imagine what this thing could really turn into.”

Edens added that no trades were given serious consideration before last month’s deadline and that any decision on a contract extension for coach Jason Kidd will be made after the season. “We can’t change what happened but we can improve on what’s going to happen,” Edens said. “That’s for the off season. Jason has been a big part of our involvement with the Bucks since we became owners, and I expect him to be a big part of our involvement with it going forward.”

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

Heat center/forward Chris Bosh held a workout today and tweeted encouraging news about his health. “Feeling good! Feeling great!” he wrote as questions continue to linger about his availability for the rest of the season. Bosh hasn’t played since he missed the All-Star Game with a calf strain that was later reported to be a blood clot. Bosh is rumored to be on blood-thinning medication, just as he was last year for a blood clot in his lungs, though neither the condition nor the medication has been confirmed by him or the team.
Point guard Ty Lawson is expected to sign with the Pacers on Monday and be in uniform for that night’s game, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Lawson agreed to sign with Indiana after the Rockets waived him Monday in a buyout agreement.
The Magic have assigned Dewayne Dedmon to the Erie Bayhawks of the D-League, the team announced today. The fourth-year center is averaging 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 38 games with Orlando.

Central Notes: Pistons, Lawson, Budinger, Butler

March 5th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Terrence Jones and Meyers Leonard would be attractive free agent options for the Pistons in their search for a backup power forward, according to David Mayo of MLive. Both will enter restricted free agency this summer, which means the Rockets and Blazers can match any offers they get. Mayo notes the teams may want compensation for letting Jones or Leonard go, which could tempt the Pistons to give up a first-round draft pick, something they were willing to do to get Donatas Motiejunas from Houston last month before that deal was voided. Mayo suggests keeping Anthony Tolliver might be the best strategy now that Tobias Harris is on board as the starting power forward. Tolliver is making $3MM in the final season of his contract and is averaging 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes per night.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

The Pacers expect to finalize a deal with free agent point guard Ty Lawson on Sunday or Monday, tweets Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. Lawson is still working out in Houston after the Rockets waived him Tuesday in a buyout agreement.
Chase Budinger‘s brief stay in Indiana was a “dud,” Buckner tweeted after the Pacers waived the seventh-year small forward today. She also laments last summer’s trade that sent Damjan Rudez to the Wolves in exchange for Budinger, saying the Pacers gave up a badly needed 3-point shooter (Twitter link). She credits Budinger for being “a pro” during his time in Indiana, though he never fully understood what the organization expected from him (Twitter link).
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg says shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who has been out of action since February 5th with a sprained knee, is “ready to go” for tonight’s game, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Combo forward Nikola Mirotic, who had acute appendicitis and underwent surgery January 27th, is “close,” Hoiberg adds (Twitter link). Injured center Joakim Noah won’t play anytime soon, but he’ll rejoin the team for “leadership,” tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
The Pistons have shooting guard Jodie Meeks, who hasn’t played since suffering a right foot injury October 29th, listed as questionable for tonight’s game, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Western Notes: Durant, Grizzlies, Spurs, Rockets

March 4th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder absorbed a pair of discouraging losses to the Clippers and Warriors this week, but while their chances of title contention don’t look as strong as they did a few days ago, Kevin Durant is OK with that, as Royce Young of ESPN.com chronicles (on Twitter). Durant’s comments are particularly resonant against the backdrop of his free agency this summer, observes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link), especially in light of the report that the former MVP regards the Warriors as his top choice outside the Thunder.

“This is an exciting time for me,” Durant said. “I’m happy that we’re going through this because like I said it’s easy to be … we don’t want to be front-runners. That’s not who we are. That’s not who I am. And I’m not going to let the team be that way. When you’re losing, that’s when you really got to show your character and show who you are. We’re going to keep our heads up, all our guys are going to stay positive and keep working and learn from it.”

No team is as much of a front-runner as Golden State is, of course. See more from the Western Conference:

Injuries have forced the Grizzlies to place a greater emphasis on younger players, from trade acquisitions Lance Stephenson and P.J. Hairston to incumbent reserves like JaMychal Green and Jarell Martin, as The Commercial Appeal’s Ronald Tillery examines.
Suns interim coach Earl Watson was a major influence on San Antonio’s decision to sign Jonathon Simmons, stemming from his time as Simmons’ coach on the Spurs D-League affiliate last season, notes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News amid a larger look at the unlikely path the shooting guard took to the NBA.
The Rockets assigned Montrezl Harrell and K.J. McDaniels to the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). They join Sam Dekker, who’s already on assignment from Houston.

Rockets Sign Michael Beasley

March 4th, 2016 at 10:39am CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 10:39am: The signing is official, the team announced.

9:00pm: The contract will be a minimum salary arrangement, Stein relays in a full-length story.

WEDNESDAY, 4:28pm: The Rockets are close to signing free agent combo forward Michael Beasley, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The deal would cover the remainder of the season and include a team option for 2016/17, Stein notes. The contract details are still unknown, though I would speculate that is likely a minimum salary arrangement. Houston, which recently waived both Marcus Thornton and Ty Lawson, still has one open roster spot. The team is also reportedly set to ink Andrew Goudelock.

Multiple NBA teams had reportedly expressed interest in Beasley, who became a free agent at the completion of the Chinese Basketball Association season. The combo forward averaged 31.9 points in 36.5 minutes per game with 37.1% 3-point shooting against relatively weak competition this season playing for Shandong.

Beasley has appeared in 433 regular season NBA games over the course of his career and owns averages of 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists. His career slash line is .450/.343/.759.

Western Notes: Dragic, Lawson, Green

March 3rd, 2016 at 10:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat point guard Goran Dragic still isn’t over his breakup with the Suns and says he will always try to emphasize that fact whenever the two teams meet, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. “Oh yeah, I’m motivated – always,” Dragic said. “I wish we didn’t break on bad terms like it was, but you always want to show them they made a mistake how they treated you and that you’re a good player. There will be a lot of emotions in that game, and I’m looking forward to it.” Dragic also noted that it was not a good situation for him with the Suns organization, Lieser adds. “I was glad as soon as I got out of there,” Dragic said regarding Phoenix. “I didn’t feel comfortable with them and you never knew what to expect. I want to be in a good situation with a good organization. I know about that situation, but I’m not following it anymore.”

Here’s more from out West:

Ty Lawson surrendered just $225K of his $12,404,495 salary for 2015/16 to secure his buyout from the Rockets, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). This means that Houston’s cap hit for the point guard is $12,179,495.
Jeff Green has impressed the Clippers coaching staff with his play since arriving via trade from Memphis, Robert Morales of The Long Beach Press-Telegram writes.“That was nice, yeah, that was very nice,” coach/executive Doc Rivers said of Green after his 22-point outburst against the Kings. “It was needed. You know, he’s still a ways away from being as good as he can be for us. But I like how quickly he’s kind of integrated himself into the team. And I think our guys have already figured out that he can do a lot of things. It’s unusual to watch him, you know, Blake Griffin did it, but now Jeff’s rebounding and pushing the ball up the floor himself. He’s starting plays for us, so he’s doing a lot of things that we like.”
John Jenkins is enjoying his newfound playing time since the Suns claimed him off waivers from Dallas, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “That was definitely meaningful for me, just because I haven’t played a lot of basketball the last two and a half years,” Jenkins said after Tuesday’s contest against Charlotte, one in which he logged 14 minutes. “Anytime I can get minutes, I don’t care if it’s the end of the the game. Hopefully, it’s when we’re winning. I feel like I haven’t played in years, at least consistent minutes. This has been a tough road for me, a lot of bad luck. I feel like a rookie sometimes. The more minutes I get, the more comfortable I get.”

Southwest Notes: Durant, Famous, Davis

March 3rd, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The pending Rockets deals with Michael Beasley and Andrew Goudelock show the team intends to try to outscore opponents rather than address its defensive deficiencies, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. While both players are certainly capable of producing on the offensive end, neither is considered a capable defender, Watkins notes. “We’re trying to get better. [We’re] obviously not satisfied with where we are,” said interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who has more optimism regarding the two additions. “I think the organization has proven time and time again it will do whatever it takes to make the team better and improve the team. Whether it’s late-season additions, whether it’s trades or what have you, the team is willing to do it. By any means necessary, the ownership the front office, everybody is committed to improving the team.”

Houston also thinks it has a legitimate shot to land free agent prize Kevin Durant this summer, Watkins also relays. The franchise believes that offering Durant the chance to play alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard, if he is re-signed, is superior to what the Thunder can offer him, the ESPN scribe adds. Now here’s more from the Southwest Division:

The toe injury that Pelicans big man Anthony Davis suffered on Saturday is not as serious as originally feared, and he should return to the team’s lineup shortly, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com relays. The power forward says he doesn’t know what caused the injury during warmups, and he was initially fearful because no contact was involved, Verrier adds. “It was just a simple routine that I do, that I’ve been doing for the past four years,” Davis said. “They’re the most scary ones — when nobody’s on you and you just get an injury. When it happened I didn’t really know what was going on, what was going on with my foot. I’m glad it was nothing [serious]. Hopefully I’ll be back on the floor tomorrow.”
Beasley is happy for the opportunity the Rockets are giving him to play in the NBA again, the combo forward told Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports. “It’s a blessing for me, another chance to play basketball,” Beasley said. “Just a chance to play basketball, just show who I am and what I can do.”
Jarrid Famous, who was with the Mavericks for the preseason, has signed with Bucaneros de la Guaira in Venezuela, Hazan Sports Management, which represents Famous, announced (via Twitter). The 27-year-old has played for Yulon Luxgen in Taiwan and Fujian of China since Dallas waived his partially guaranteed contract prior to opening night.

Pacers, Ty Lawson Deep In Talks

March 3rd, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:27pm: Lawson has gained traction in conversation with two other teams, but the talks with the Pacers are the most serious, league sources told Charania for a full story.

12:00pm: The Pacers and Ty Lawson are in “strong discussions” about a would-be signing, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Lawson is due to clear waivers from the Rockets at 4pm Central today following a buyout deal that beat Tuesday’s deadline for the point guard to remain playoff-eligible for other teams. Indiana has about $1.9MM left on its room exception, while the prorated minimum would give Lawson only about $300K.

The team has appeared to have interest in an upgrade at the point, reportedly offering George Hill to the Hawks for Jeff Teague before last month’s trade deadline. Hill is a combo guard, like backups Rodney Stuckey and Joe Young, so the addition of Lawson would give the team the pure point guard it lacks. Lawson averaged 9.6 assists against just 2.5 turnovers per game last season before bottoming out with Houston this year. He dished out just 3.4 assists per game with the Rockets, and his 5.8 points per contest are a career low as he faded to a bench role behind Patrick Beverley. It was largely a matter of lost confidence, people around the Rockets reportedly believe.

Indiana would have to waive someone to make room for Lawson, since the team is at the 15-man roster limit, and every Pacer is signed through at least the end of the season. The team is just a game and a half up on ninth-place Washington in the fight for the playoffs, but Indiana has emphasized long-term development on the end of its bench. Rakeem Christmas, last year’s 36th overall pick, has spent most of the season in the D-League and has still yet to appear in an NBA game, while second-year man Shayne Whittington has logged just 10 NBA minutes this season amid heavy D-League playing time. Christmas has a full guarantee of slightly more than $1MM for next season, but Whittington’s contract carries no guarantee beyond this season.

Texas Notes: Miller, Ginobili, Parsons, Lawson

March 2nd, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich had no shortage of praise for new addition Andre Miller, who signed Monday with San Antonio following his buyout from the Timberwolves, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News relays. Miller is just as glad to be with the Spurs as Popovich is to have him, McDonald notes.

“He’s one of those players you look at and say, ‘Boy, I could figure out how to fit him in,’” Popovich said. “He has been such a great player for several teams, and he does the same thing (everywhere). He’s just a pro, the consummate pro.”

See more on the Spurs amid news from the Texas triangle:

Manu Ginobili is progressing much more quickly in his recovery from a testicular injury than the Spurs thought he would, Popovich said Tuesday, as Express-News scribe Melissa Rohlin chronicles. The Spurs expected Ginobili would miss at least a month when they announced that he underwent surgery February 4th, but Tony Parker hinted Tuesday that Ginobili could return next week. It’s unclear what that means for the team’s reported pursuit of fellow wing player Kevin Martin.
Chandler Parsons thinks he’s playing the best basketball of his career, and it’s clear that he’s moved past the early-season struggles he went through as he recovered from a knee injury that prematurely ended his playoff run last spring, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News examines. Parsons is set to turn down his player option this summer and entertain an aggressive pitch from the Magic, as well as interest from the Rockets, Heat, Lakers, Nets, Knicks, Trail Blazers, Nuggets and possibly Thunder, but the Mavs remain the favorites for him, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reported Tuesday.
Ty Lawson‘s failure to produce for the Rockets was a product of lost confidence, people around the team told Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Houston waived Lawson in a buyout deal Tuesday.

Central Notes: Motiejunas, Dunleavy, Hoiberg, Love

March 2nd, 2016 at 11:08am CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy denies the team simply changed its mind about trading for Donatas Motiejunas, as the power forward asserted, MLive’s Brendan Savage notes. The trade was voided when the Pistons said Motiejunas didn’t pass his physical, but Motiejunas, who returned to action this weekend for the Rockets after back trouble kept him out for nearly two months, insists he’s fine.

“We went through a very thorough process and we made the decision we made for the reasons that we thought it was too much risk,” Van Gundy said. “Look, I feel bad for him, too, because I understand his points in terms of his value and everything else. But we felt we had to make the decision we made.”

Motiejunas is set to enter restricted free agency this summer, so the next six weeks figure to be key for his market value. See more from the Central Division:

The return of Mike Dunleavy is giving the Bulls a boost even though it isn’t reflected in the standings, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com. The team was reportedly seeking an upgrade on the wing, as Goodwill notes, but Chicago didn’t make a significant move for one and has instead benefited from Dunleavy’s presence since his return from back surgery that knocked him out the first half of the season. The Bulls re-signed him to a three-year, $14.4MM deal this past summer.
New coach Fred Hoiberg‘s message simply isn’t connecting with the Bulls, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. The Bulls are beset with injuries even in the wake of Dunleavy’s return, but Tuesday’s loss to the Heat dropped Chicago, which aimed for at least the conference finals, to ninth place.
Kevin Love‘s revival following Cleveland’s coaching change was short-lived, and the max-salary signee has returned to the underwhelming performances that have marked much of his tenure with the Cavs, notes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune.

Wolves Waive Kevin Martin In Buyout Deal

March 1st, 2016 at 11:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

11:28pm: The Wolves have waived Martin, the team announced (Twitter link). Presumably, the official transaction took place before the 11pm Central time deadline, as previous reports indicated it would.

11:11pm: Some pessimism exists about the Mavs’ chances at Martin once he clears waivers, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

10:38pm: The Timberwolves and shooting guard Kevin Martin have come to an agreement on a buyout deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The move comes prior to the 11pm Central time deadline, so Martin will be eligible for the playoffs with any postseason-bound team he might sign with before the end of the regular season. It’s not immediately clear just how much salary the shooting guard gave up to secure his release. Martin is scheduled to earn $7.085MM this season with a $7,377,500 player option for next year. The move will give Minnesota a roster count of 13 players, two under the league maximum.

Martin was available for a trade prior to the February trade deadline, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press first reported, but potential suitors were apparently reluctant to take him on without knowing what he’d do about his player option for 2016/17. GM Milt Newton said after the deadline passed without a Martin trade that a buyout discussion would probably take place between Martin and the team in the near future, and that’s apparently come to fruition.

The veteran scorer shouldn’t be out of work for long with a number of teams reportedly showing interest. The Mavericks, Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat, Rockets and Thunder are all potential suitors for the shooting guard, though the Spurs are reportedly the favorites to sign him, as Stein reported last week. The Spurs remain in front, with the Mavs, Rockets and Hawks in pursuit, according to Stein’s latest dispatch (Twitter link). San Antonio currently has the league maximum of 15 players on its roster, so a corresponding move would be required if the team inks Martin.

The 33-year-old has appeared in 39 games for Minnesota this season, including 12 starts. Martin is averaging 10.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.4 minutes of action per appearance. His career numbers through 698 games are 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists to go with a shooting line of .438/.385/.870.