Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Blatt, Davis, Clippers

January 22nd, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert said that it was a difficult choice to fire David Blatt, but also noted that it was ultimately GM David Griffin‘s decision to do so, according to his official statement (h/t NBA.com). “Over the course of my business career I have learned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do,” said Gilbert “Our ownership group supports David Griffin’s decision. We would like to thank David Blatt for his work over these past two seasons where the Cavaliers transformed into a playoff team after a rebuilding phase. We believe Tyronn Lue is the right coach at the right time to put us in the best position to take the last but most challenging step to complete our mission to deliver Cleveland an NBA Championship.”

“On behalf of the organization, I would like to thank David Blatt for his efforts and commitment to this franchise,” Griffin said. “He spent the last year and a half battling intense scrutiny, working to mold a very willful group and we all recognize that is not at all an easy task.”

Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Clippers made two moves today, sending Josh Smith to the Rockets via trade and agreeing to sign Jeff Ayres to a 10-day deal, and coach/executive Doc Rivers indicated that the team may stand pat the rest of the season as far as roster moves are concerned, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
Multiple NBA D-League teams have invited free agent Baron Davis to practice with them in advance of a possible signing, but the veteran has declined all such offers to date, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (on Twitter). Davis cleared D-League waivers last week after going unclaimed by the league’s 19 teams.
The Rockets were sent precisely $456,921 by Los Angeles as part of the Smith trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).

Reaction To Josh Smith Trade

January 22nd, 2016 at 2:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Josh Smith is the NBA’s version of an acquired taste, observes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com in a piece that explains why the 12th-year veteran didn’t mesh with the Clippers, even under a reputed player’s coach like Doc Rivers, nearly as well as he did in his first stint with the Rockets. Smith was frank in his interaction with James Harden, pushing the shooting guard to become a better player and locker room leader, and Harden accepted that guidance, Watkins writes. Smith also mentored Terrence Jones and Clint Capela, and Corey Brewer and Jason Terry were enamored with him, according to Watkins. That sort of chemistry simply didn’t exist in L.A., as we examine amid more reaction to today’s trade that sent Smith from the Clippers to the Rockets.

Smith, who today cited a desire to play a leadership role on the Rockets, also wanted to do the same with the Clippers when he signed with them, but the Clippers already had their leadership structure in place, making him a poor fit in the L.A. locker room, writes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.
Smith’s shot selection was one reason he fell out of favor with Rivers, writes Barry Stavro of the Los Angeles Times, and his defense was another, according to fellow Times scribe Ben Bolch.
Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff gushed about what Smith can bring to the Rockets, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston relays (on Twitter). “It’s huge,” Bickerstaff said. “It gives us a leg up. We don’t have to start all the way over with him. We don’t have to teach him everything that we do. He knows what we do. He’s familiar with how his teammates like the ball. He’s familiar with how to play pick-and-roll with Dwight [Howard]. He knows how to play pick-and-roll with James. So that gives us a huge advantage.”
Bickerstaff isn’t the only Rocket who’s glad to have Smith back, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. “It’s great news,” Terry said. “It’s more than his skill, which is what he brought to the table last year, but it’s the intangible of his personality. It’s infectious. The chemistry he and Dwight had together was something you can’t make up. It’s natural. He was a huge part of our success last year.”

Rockets Acquire Josh Smith From Clippers

January 22nd, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kelvin Kuo / USA TODAY Sports Images

12:18pm: The deal is official, the Rockets and Clippers announced. It’s Smith, the rights to Lishouk and cash to Houston in exchange for the rights to Leunen.

10:24am: The teams still haven’t made any formal announcements, but Rockets GM Daryl Morey gave confirmation of the deal via Twitter.

“Welcome back Josh Smith! #bandbacktogether,” Morey tweeted.

9:31am: Josh Smith is headed back to the Rockets via trade from the Clippers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski indicates the deal has already taken place, though the teams have yet to make an announcement. The Clippers are sending Smith along with enough cash to cover Houston’s salary obligation to the veteran big man, who’s on a one-year deal for the minimum, and the Rockets are sending draft-and-stash prospects to the Clippers, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links). One of those is Maarty Leunen, the 54th overall pick from 2008 who plays for Sidigas Avellino of Italy. Draft-and-stash prospect Sergei Lishouk, the 49th overall pick from 2004 who’s with Murcia of Spain, is going from the Clippers to Houston, the Yahoo scribe also reports (Twitter links).

The Clippers had thought about waiving Smith, Wojnarowski writes in a full story, and he’s wanted off the team for a while, having feuded with coach/executive Doc Rivers about his role, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (Twitter link). His personality was also a poor fit with his Clippers teammate, Watkins adds, though he was well-respected in the Houston locker room after playing for the Rockets last season (Twitter links). James Harden and Dwight Howard are particular fans, according to Watkins, and several Rockets players wanted him to return, league sources told Wojnarowski. Smith thought he would have to take a reduced role this season if he re-signed with the Rockets this past summer, leading him to sign with the Clippers instead, Watkins tweets, but he has regretted that decision, Wojnarowski writes.

The deal would be legal with Smith as the only NBA player changing hands, because Houston can absorb him via the minimum-salary exception, though it would bring the team within $1MM of its $88.74MM hard cap. The Rockets have been carrying an open roster spot, so no corresponding move would be necessary. Conversely, the deal would open a roster spot for the Clippers, who’ve been at the limit of 15 players. Both the Rockets and Clippers are taxpaying teams, though Smith represented a greater tax obligation to L.A. than he will for Houston, since the Clippers are further above the tax threshold and thus subject to additional penalties. Sending out Smith without taking an NBA player in return would allow the Clippers to create a $947,276 trade exception, equivalent to the portion of Smith’s salary paid by the team. Smith’s actual salary is $1,499,187, and the league is paying the difference. Leunen and Lishouk aren’t expected to play in the NBA, according to Wojnarowski, so the essential components of the deal for the Clippers are the tax savings, the open roster spot, and the ability to move on from Smith.

The Clippers have considered either trading or releasing Smith for most of the season, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). Rivers in December denied a report from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that the Clippers gauged trade interest around the league in Smith and Lance Stephenson during November. Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops reported last week that the Clippers were making Smith available. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher said earlier this week that the Clippers felt as though they’d be better off in the long run if they could trade Smith and Stephenson, which lines up with his report from December.

Is Smith the right addition for the Rockets? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Texas Notes: Lawson, Smith, Aldridge, Mavs

January 22nd, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets expect to hang on to Ty Lawson through the trade deadline, as USA Today’s Sam Amick hears (Twitter link). The Bucks have been linked to Lawson of late, as Amick says, echoing a recent report from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who said a trade to Milwaukee was nonetheless unlikely. Houston had reportedly been exploring the market for Lawson as the point guard’s camp sought a way for him to see more playing time elsewhere, but the market proved slow. Houston instead struck a deal to acquire Josh Smith from the Clippers. See more on that amid the latest from Texas:

Smith called the idea of returning to the Rockets “amazing” and said in an interview with Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that he hopes to deliver leadership to the Rockets and relieve pressure from James Harden and Dwight Howard (All Twitter links here). “I look at that team as being right there, just missing a couple of pieces and I feel like I’m one of those missing pieces,” Smith said to Berman.
LaMarcus Aldridge confirmed that the Suns were the last team other than the Spurs that he considered in free agency this past summer and said that while he enjoyed being the focal point of the Trail Blazers, he’s undergone a change that allows him to take a back seat on the Spurs. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio News-Express has the details. “I don’t see myself being that guy here,” Aldridge said. “This is more Kawhi [Leonard]’s team, and we all fit in around him and try to make his life a little easier. If I was trying to be that guy still, I should have not come. I’m OK trying to help Kawhi be great every night.”
The Mavericks have recalled Justin Anderson, Jeremy Evans and Salah Mejri from the D-League, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. The team had just sent the trio on assignment Thursday.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/20/16

January 20th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets center Dwight Howard is widely expected to turn down his player option for next season, which is worth $23,282,457, in pursuit of a long-term deal. Many league executives and agents believe that the NBA’s salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, which is a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season. As a result of this increase there will be significantly more teams with enough available cap space to offer maximum salary deals, something that is not likely lost on Howard and his representatives.

Members of Houston’s front office told Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle prior to the disappointment of the season setting in that they had no intention of letting the big man depart this summer, but GM Daryl Morey said to Smith more recently that he’s not thinking too far in the future at this point. “We’re just focused on this season. So is Dwight,” Morey said. “If … he as a player play[s] like we know he’s capable [of] … all that stuff takes care of itself.”

The Rockets are clinging to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, and even if they do indeed make the playoffs a deep run isn’t likely given the talent present in the West. Howard is having a bit of a down year statistically, but that is due more to him receiving fewer touches in the team’s offense than him performing poorly. At this point in his career, Howard has almost assuredly peaked as a player, and he will likely never again become the dominant force that he was during his time in Orlando.

This brings me to the topic/question for today: Should the Rockets re-sign Dwight Howard to a long-term deal this offseason if the center opts out of his contract?

Houston has the look of a franchise that needs to hit the reset button, and if that is indeed the case, it has to decide if the 30-year-old Howard should be a part of its future. The team currently is projected to have approximately $7MM-$10MM in cap space this summer, a number that includes Howard’s 2016/17 salary. If the team decides to re-sign Howard, provided he opts out, that will prohibit the Rockets from adding a significant piece via free agency unless some salary is cleared via trade. The big man has had injury issues and he’s not likely to grow more durable with age, which makes any long-term deal a risk. But he’s also one of the more talented centers in the league and would be an extremely difficult player to replace.

So what say you? Should the team look to keep Howard no matter the cost, or should the Rockets look to use their cap space in a different manner and let him depart? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Pistons To Target Ryan Anderson, Motiejunas?

January 20th, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons are reportedly seeking an upgrade at the power forward position and intend to target soon-to-be free agents Ryan Anderson and Donatas Motiejunas in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe in his most recent podcast. “They want a four in free agency this summer, the Pistons, really badly,” Lowe said. “They’re going to look at Stan’s [Van Gundy] old friend Ryan Anderson. I’ve heard they’re hot on Motiejunas from Houston who’s always hurt. So, who knows how hot they actually are?”

Detroit has indicated that it intends retain current starter Ersan Ilyasova, whose $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster past July 1st, but the franchise would prefer to use the big man off the bench, Lowe notes. The 28-year-old has appeared in 41 games for the Pistons this season, all as a starter, and he is averaging 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game. His career numbers through 494 regular season NBA contests are 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists to accompany a slash line of .445/.371/.770.

As for Detroit’s reported targets, Anderson, whom New Orleans has reportedly been listening to offers about, isn’t likely to come cheap. A source within an NBA team told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times and Basketball Insiders that he expects that Anderson will be able to command a maximum-salary contract this summer. Anderson is making $8.5MM in the final season of his contract. He’ll be a veteran of eight years by this summer, so he’d be eligible for the middle-tier max of a projected $24.9MM. The stretch-four has ties to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, having played for him when the duo were with the Magic. The 27-year-old is averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in 39 contests this season.

Motiejunas, 25, has only appeared in 14 games this season for the Rockets as he struggles with back issues. He is averaging 5.6 points and 2,1 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game this year, with career numbers of 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds on 48.2% shooting. Motiejunas has never appeared in more than 71 games in a season during the course of his NBA career, which speaks to the injury issues that Lowe mentioned in his podcast. The Rockets will be able to match offers for him as a restricted free agent if they tender a qualifying offer worth nearly $3.279MM.

Southwest Notes: Howard, Harrell, Pachulia

January 19th, 2016 at 4:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Rockets decision-makers told Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle before the disappointment of the season set in that they had no intention of letting Dwight Howard get away this coming summer, but GM Daryl Morey said to Smith more recently that he’s not thinking too far in the future at this point. The team reportedly expects Howard to turn down his player option for next season, a move that appears a wise financial play for him.

“We’re just focused on this season. So is Dwight,” Morey said. “If … he as a player play[s] like we know he’s capable [of] … all that stuff takes care of itself.”

See more from Houston amid the latest from the Southwest Division:

Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to give rookie Montrezl Harrell more playing time, as the Chronicle’s Jenny Dial Creech details. Houston imposed a hard cap on itself when it signed Harrell in the offseason. Fellow power forward Terrence Jones is reportedly a trade candidate. “Every time Montrezl has played, he’s helped us,” Bickerstaff said, according to Creech. “I have to do a better job of finding minutes for him and getting him on the court. His energy is infectious and the guys love to play with him. We need guys like that on the floor.”
Zaza Pachulia likes Dallas and said he’s not focused on what he’ll do when he hits free agency this summer, observes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Still, Pachulia made it clear he enjoys playing with Dirk Nowitzki, who doesn’t appear ready to retire from the Mavericks in the near future. “It’s such a great honor to play next to him,” Pachulia said to Deveney. “Dirk has been there for years, and this guy is all about the winning. That’s a lot of motivation when you come to Dallas and play for the Mavericks; you have to do all the things to win games and have a good season.”
The Pelicans have been disappointing this season, but their bench has been a bright spot, thanks to Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday, as John Reid of The Times Picayune examines. At least one person within an NBA team has raised the specter of Anderson as a maximum-salary player when he hits free agency this summer.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Stephenson, Hibbert, Crawford

January 19th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers feel as though they’d be better in the long run if they could trade offseason acquisitions Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson, who are dissatisfied with their respective roles on the team, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video dispatch (scroll to three-minute mark) that echoes his report from December. The team apparently gauged their value on the trade market as far back as November, though coach/executive Doc Rivers denied it. In any case, Bucher and Bleacher Report colleague Howard Beck identify the Clippers, Bulls and Lakers as likely sellers, with the Kings and Rockets set to become buyers at the trade deadline. Sacramento has been “active and aggressive,” according to Bucher. See more from the Pacific Division:

Roy Hibbert likes L.A. and has maintained a professional demeanor throughout a losing season, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers are reportedly trying to find a trade that would send Hibbert to a playoff team. The center acknowledges that it hasn’t been easy this year after playing on much more successful teams in Indiana. “It’s rough,” Hibbert said. “The skeletons are there to be a really good team. It’s just not going the way we want it to be. You see glimpses but it’s been rough.”
Jamal Crawford cited familiarity and the desire for a “pit bull” negotiator for his recent decision to rehire agent Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, having moved on from a brief time with the Wasserman Media Group, the agency he hired in the offseason. TNT’s David Aldridge has the details in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Clippers sixth man is poised for free agency in the summer.
Draymond Green has far surpassed expectations, and in addition to his own effort, he’s been fortunate to arrive in the NBA just as small-ball truly took off and to land with a Warriors franchise that believes in him, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com examines. “Obviously I’m blessed to be here in a situation with Golden State where what I brought to the team was needed,” Green said. “And appreciated. I know that’s important. Sometimes going to a certain franchise can ruin a career if you’re not with the right team. I was blessed to come to a great situation. A great franchise that appreciated the way that I do. So I’ve been able to become the player I’ve become.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Kings, Black

January 18th, 2016 at 2:05pm CST by Will Joseph

Draymond Green, who re-signed with the Warriors this past summer for five years and $82MM, drew some high praise from LeBron James, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group relays. Green, who leads the league with eight triple-doubles this season, often takes the assignment of guarding James later in games, as Vardon points out.

“I knew one thing: Whatever team got him was going to get a very smart, complete guy,” James said. “Any guy who is able to get a triple-double in the college game, that means a lot. Not many possessions and the game isn’t that well-rounded in college. He did it multiple times in East Lansing and for the most part if he comes from under [Michigan State coach Tom Izzo] you’re going to have some basketball IQ. He has all the intangibles.”

Here’s more on the Pacific Division:

The Kings are hoping their roster can continue to improve while they explore options to add another defender, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, whom the Kings voided their contract with over the summer after a failed physical, has all the traits Sacramento is looking for, Jones adds. “Every team likes his intangibles,” Kings coach George Karl said. “He’s not a stat guy; he’s a low-maintenance offensive guy, so you don’t have to run anything for him and he’s happy.”
While Lakers coach Byron Scott seems unsatisfied with the development of Tarik Black, Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff wishes Houston still had the center on its roster, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. Scott said Black has been “OK” and has not provided an impact off the bench. The Rockets waived Black last season. “We loved him,” Bickerstaff said. “We wanted to keep him around. We had to make a move for a roster spot [to sign Josh Smith.] He was kind of a casualty of that. He’s a heck of a player, brings great energy. Defensively, he communicates. He’s good in the pick-and-roll. He’ll rebound the ball. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Accepts all challenges from all comers. We love him.”

Rockets Notes: Howard, Lawson, Bickerstaff

January 17th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Will Joseph

Rockets GM Daryl Morey told reporters there is no way Houston will be able to make a solid playoff push this year without Dwight Howard when asked about Howard’s future in Houston as the trade deadline approaches, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle relays. The Rockets are currently seventh in the Western Conference with a 21-20 record. Howard was the subject of trade rumors last month, but he has on multiple occasions denied a report that he’s upset with playing a secondary role to James Harden. The Rockets expect Howard to opt out and hit free agency this summer.

Here are some more highlights from the interview session with Morey and notes regarding the Rockets:

Ty Lawson has played significantly better as of late and Morey believes the point guard still has tremendous upside, Smith details in the same interview transcription. “We know he’s capable of a very high level of play,” Morey said. “He’s done it every year he’s been in the league. … At times the fit on our roster has been challenging for him and us. But I feel like [interim coach] J.B. [Bickerstaff] has been working through that.”
Speaking of Bickerstaff, Morey, in the same interview, applauded the work the interim coach has done in guiding the Rockets, but was noncommittal about Bickerstaff’s future beyond this season. “When the season ends, we’re obviously going to have a tough decision,” Morey said. “And he’s very good – he’ll have a tough decision, too. How well he’s done has put a spotlight on him.”
The Rockets are 17-13 under Bickerstaff and the 36-year-old is starting to feel more comfortable in his interim role, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “It’s not about me,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s about what’s best for those guys in that locker room. You have to put personal issues aside and go get a job done. It’s about being a teammate, sacrificing for others and doing things you might not normally do. Figuring out the job, leading a group of guys who have high expectations for themselves and getting the most out of them, that’s most important.”