Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Re-Sign Corey Brewer

July 14th, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 14TH, 4:35pm: The Rockets have officially announced the deal.

JULY 9TH, 11:59pm: The Rockets have yet to make an official announcement, but the signing has indeed taken place, according to the RealGM transactions log.

JULY 3RD, 5:11pm: Free agent swingman Corey Brewer has reached an agreement with the Rockets on a multiyear deal to return to the team, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The deal is for three years and $24MM, Wojnarowski notes. The deal contains no options, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com relays (via Twitter).

The Lakers, Pistons and the Knicks were reportedly interested in the Happy Walters client. New York sat down with Brewer today, though no contract offer was said to be made. Brewer, who once played for George Karl, had piqued the interest of some members of the Kings brass, and the Celtics also reportedly spoke with him. However, the 29-year-old out of Florida’s preference was to remain in Houston. Brewer had waived his player option upon the completion of the trade that sent him to Houston this past season with the thought that the Rockets would use Early Bird rights to re-sign him, noted Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Brewer made 56 appearances for Houston after being acquired from the Timberwolves, averaging 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists with a slash line of .429/.284/.764. His career numbers are 10.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.7 APG. His shooting numbers are .428/.290/.708.

Multiple Teams Eye Carlos Boozer

July 13th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

July 13th, 9:15pm: The Nuggets and Knicks, in addition to the Pelicans, Clippers, Raptors and Spurs, are interested in Boozer, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link).

1:21pm: The interest between Boozer and the Clippers is mutual, a source tells Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

July 7th, 1:12pm: The Pelicans are also showing interest, Broussard tweets. His latest dispatch doesn’t include the Spurs, so it’s unclear if they’re still in the mix after reaching a deal with David West.

July 6th, 1:21pm: Free agent Carlos Boozer is in talks with the Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks and Raptors, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com first reported that the Spurs had expressed interest, while Broussard identified San Antonio and Dallas on the eve of free agency as teams that were poised to pursue the Rob Pelinka client, along with the Nets, Rockets, Heat and incumbent Lakers.

The Mavs and Spurs would appear to have the most to spend among the four teams that Broussard reports in connection with Boozer today, as they have the $2.814MM room exception at their disposal. However, it seems Dallas is nearing a deal for that exception amount, and San Antonio reportedly has interest in David West, perhaps at that same price point. It looks like Toronto has its room exception earmarked for Bismack Biyombo, while the Clippers have $2.088MM left on their mid-level in the wake of Paul Pierce‘s deal and the departure of DeAndre Jordan.

Boozer, who’ll turn 34 in November, expressed a willingness to take a bench role as he expressed his desire to re-sign with the Lakers. Someone close to the power forward told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he wouldn’t be surprised if Boozer signed with the Heat this summer, though it’s unclear if either the Lakers or the Heat still have interest.

Southwest Notes: Parsons, Asik, Aldridge

July 10th, 2015 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In a candid Q&A session with Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, Mavs forward Chandler Parsons detailed the team’s recruitment of DeAndre Jordan, and expressed his disappointment with the center re-signing with the Clippers. When asked about his reaction to Jordan spurning Dallas, Parsons told MacMahon, “I’m shocked, very disappointed, frustrated, disrespected. This is something that I’ve never seen in my career, and I know that it doesn’t happen very often. When a man gives you his word and an organization his word, especially when that organization put in so much effort and I walked him through this process and was very, very open and willing to work with him, it’s just very unethical and disrespectful.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

It’s the Spurs‘ own 2016 second-rounder headed to Sacramento in the Ray McCallum trade, according to RealGM.
The protection on the 2017 second-round pick headed from the Hawks to the Spurs in the Tiago Splitter trade is for the top 55 picks, as RealGM details.
The four-year max deal that Wesley Matthews signed with the Mavs includes a player option after year three, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter link).
The final season in Omer Asik‘s five-year deal with the Pelicans is an early termination option. That season is partially guaranteed for $3MM, though he can end up with a larger partial guarantee if he triggers incentives, Pincus notes (Twitter links).
The Grizzlies used the mid-level exception for their deal with Brandan Wright. Pincus pegs its value at $17.1MM, though he’s probably rounding down from $17,129,640, the full value of the mid-level over three years. Wright also has a 15% trade kicker.
Alexis Ajinca‘s four-year deal with the Pelicans is worth $19.2MM, tweets Pincus.
The starting salary in Patrick Beverley‘s deal with the Rockets is $6,486,486, but that’s a function of front-loading. It’s worth a total of $23MM over four years, Pincus relays (on Twitter).
LaMarcus Aldridge has a 15% trade kicker in his max deal with the Spurs, notes Pincus (via Twitter).
The Mavs considered trying to swing a trade for Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson before Deron Williams reached a buyout arrangement with the Nets, MacMahon tweets. Williams is expected to sign with Dallas if he clears waivers, which is highly likely given the point guard’s player-friendly contract.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Heat Sign Amar’e Stoudemire

July 10th, 2015 at 4:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 4:41pm: The Heat have officially signed Stoudemire, the team announced. It will be a one-year deal worth $1.5MM, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. “We are very fortunate that a proven All-Star like Amar’e has chosen the Miami Heat,” said team president Pat Riley. “He is going to bring gravitas, leadership and a hardworking mentality to our team as we look to win another Championship in Miami.”

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

THURSDAY, 10:53pm: The Heat are believed to be close to a deal with Amar’e Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who cites sources (Twitter link). Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirmed through an associate of Stoudemire’s that it is indeed the case and that the 13-year veteran would like to play for the Heat, though that associate cautioned that a deal is not yet a given. The Happy Walters client won’t base his decision on money, Jackson hears, a plus for the Heat, who are limited to only their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception and are poised to pay repeat-offender tax penalties this season unless they clear some of their salary commitments.

Stoudemire will meet with the Heat on Friday, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported (on Twitter), and team president Pat Riley will take part, Jackson notes. Several other teams have apparently been in the mix for the big man, as the Clippers, Rockets, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns all reportedly expressed interest in him as someone who could shore up their respective benches.

Stoudemire didn’t want to go to the Clippers unless he could start, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported, and it seems unlikely he’d start over Chris Bosh or Hassan Whiteside in Miami. Still, Stoudemire apparently had at least some level of mutual interest in the Clippers, as well as the Mavs, Lakers, Suns and Spurs. He was expected to speak with Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers this past weekend, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who added the Pacers to the list of teams that Stoudemire was eyeing.

Clippers, Josh Smith Have Mutual Interest

July 10th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FRIDAY, 12:42pm: The Clippers remain interested even after Jordan’s decision to return, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). The Kings and Mavs are also reportedly in the mix.

TUESDAY, 12:21pm: The interest between the Clippers and Smith is mutual, and the team has spoken to the representatives of the Brian Dyke and Wallace Prather client, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).

MONDAY, 6:34pm: The Clippers are targeting unrestricted free agent Josh Smith even though the club is cap-strapped, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN com tweets.

Though the Clippers lost DeAndre Jordan to the Mavericks, they still have approximately $68.1MM in guaranteed salary commitments next season. They also used part of their mid-level exception to get a verbal agreement with veteran forward Paul Pierce and only have $2,088MM remaining. Smith could slide into the rotation as a backup to Blake Griffin at power forward, as well as play some small forward and even play alongside Griffin in smaller lineups.

There hasn’t been a whole lot of buzz regarding Smith in free agency, though the Kings reportedly met with him. Smith has expressed a strong interest in re-signing with Rockets, who signed him as a free agent in late December after the Pistons released him, even though he was in the second year of a guaranteed four-year, $54MM deal.

Still, it would appear that Smith could find a bigger offer if he’s patient. While he flamed out in Detroit, he seemed to reestablish at least some of his value as a rotation player on a team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Smith started at small forward for Detroit but mainly played power forward with the Rockets off the bench, averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 55 games. He also had some big games in the postseason, averaging 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Hackett, Nets

July 9th, 2015 at 9:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics‘ primary goal this season will be to make he franchise as attractive as possible to free agents hitting the market during next Summer, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. With the team expected to have approximately $40MM to spend on free agents in 2016, the team has to develop its young core enough to convince big names like Kevin Durant that they can win in Beantown, Blakely adds.

Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Euro guard Daniel Hackett will work out for the Knicks in Las Vegas, David Pick of Eurobasket relays (Twitter links). Hackett, who is also on the radar of the Mavs and Rockets, was offered a contract by the Greek club Olympiacos, but the 27-year-old wants to explore his NBA opportunities before heading back overseas, Pick adds.
Nets GM Billy King‘s first two calls when the free agent signing period began were to Shane Larkin and Thomas Robinson, Rod Boone of Newsday tweets. Both players officially signed with Brooklyn today.
When King was asked if he expected Deron Williams and Joe Johnson to remain on the Nets‘ roster, he responded, “at this point, yes,” Boone tweets. King also indicated that the reports of the team trying to deal Johnson have been exaggerated, Boone adds.
The Knicks are still in contact with the representatives for Alexey Shved, Cole Aldrich and Louis Amundson, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets.
The Nets will still look to add another big man to the roster, King indicated, but the team wants to get as close to, if not under, the luxury tax line as it can, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).

Rockets Re-Sign Patrick Beverley

July 9th, 2015 at 8:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 9TH, 8:12pm: The deal is official, the Rockets announced.

JULY 3RD, 6:14pm: The Rockets and restricted free agent Patrick Beverley have reached an agreement that will see the point guard return to Houston, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The deal is for four years and $23MM, Wojnarowski relays. The final year of the contract will pay Beverley $5MM, and is non-guaranteed, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.

Beverley appeared in 56 games for the Rockets last season, 55 as a starter. His numbers on the year were 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, with a slash line of .383/.356/.750. His career numbers since being selected with the 42nd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft are 8.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.0 APG.

The 26-year-old was reported to be nearing a deal with the Kings by Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders earlier this evening. The Mavericks, Knicks, Bulls, and Cavaliers were also interested in signing Beverley.

Kings, Mavs Interested In Josh Smith

July 9th, 2015 at 1:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings have a “very strong” interest in Josh Smith, league sources tell Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links), and the Mavs are in play for him, too, as Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops hears (Twitter link). Still, while six teams have shown interest, “nothing of substance” is in the works for Smith, a source tells Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link), whose report came after the Mavs news but before the report on the Kings. Fischer last week reported that the Kings would soon begin talks with the client of Brian Dyke and Wallace Prather.

Smith has reportedly held mutual interest in re-signing with the Rockets, and he enjoys playing for Kevin McHale, notes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Still, the Rockets have only Non-Bird rights on the forward who signed at midseason, meaning they can only give him $2,492,400, a 20% raise on the $2.077MM he saw in 2014/15, without clearing cap space or raiding the mid-level exception.

The Clippers and Smith also reportedly had mutual interest, though that surfaced before DeAndre Jordan flipped from his decision to sign with the Mavs to recommit to the Clippers instead. Thus, the Clippers only have the minimum salary to offer. The Mavs have loads of cap room that they were to spend on Jordan, while the Kings have roughly $7MM in cap space.

Rockets Sign Sam Dekker

July 7th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have signed Sam Dekker, this year’s No. 18 overall pick, the Priority Sports agency tweets (hat tip to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle). Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston says agent Mark Bartelstein told him the sides have a verbal agreement in place (Twitter link), and the team has yet to make any official announcement. Regardless of whether Dekker has actually put pen to paper, the signing is likely a mere formality, as the rookie scale usually removes any substantive negotiation between teams and their first-round picks. Dekker will make more than $1.646MM this year in the first year of a four-year deal, presuming he receives the standard 120% of the rookie scale.

Dekker’s stock surged amid Wisconsin’s run to the national championship game in the NCAA Tournament. The small forward is dynamic, with high basketball IQ and toughness, though he’s not a standout in any particular area, and his outside shooting could use some work, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote in his prospect profile.

Houston took Dekker largely within his projected range. Chad Ford of ESPN.com had him as the 16th-best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranked him 21st. Our Eddie Scarito predicted he’d go 17th in the final Hoops Rumors Mock Draft.

The Rockets will likely remain over the cap after missing out on star targets LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love, so the Dekker signing, which will lift his cap hold by roughly $300K, is unlikely to affect the team’s flexibility.

Southwest Notes: Villanueva, Udrih, Conley

July 6th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s a good bet that Charlie Villanueva will end up back with the Mavericks on a deal for the minimum salary, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon wrote last month that the Mavs would welcome him back if he were to play for that amount, and Villanueva has spoken of his desire to play for coach Rick Carlisle again. There’s plenty more from the Southwest Division, where all five teams made the playoffs this past season even before the summer’s two most talked–about free agents agreed to go there:

Beno Udrih‘s full salary of more than $2.17MM is guaranteed since he remained on the Grizzlies roster through Sunday. It had been partially guaranteed for only $923K, as the schedule of salary guarantee dates shows.
Mike Conley triggered a $200K bonus because the Grizzlies went to the second round of the playoffs this past season, so his cap figure for this coming season goes up by that amount, bringing it to $9,588,426, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Rockets draft-and-stash point guard Sergio Llull has signed an extension with Real Madrid of Spain that runs until 2021, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Llull rejected reported overtures from Houston to join the NBA for this coming season, though his new deal does include a lower NBA buyout. Carlos Sanchez Blas of Marca.com first reported the deal.
The Mavs will soon announce the hiring of Nick Van Exel as the team’s D-League coach, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Pelicans free agent Jimmer Fredette is mulling an offer from Italy’s Olimpia Milano, sources tell Paola De Persis of Sportando. Fredette would nonetheless prefer to stay in the NBA, De Persis notes.