Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Anderson, Brown, Randle

May 31st, 2015 at 7:15pm CST by Will Joseph

Virginia’s Justin Anderson worked out with the Lakers on Thursday and afterward said he expects to be selected in the middle or toward the end of the first round based on conversations with his agent and interviews during draft workouts and the NBA pre-draft combine, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. Anderson, who is ranked 23rd by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and is pegged at No. 28 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required), believes he can thrive in the league with his strength, defense and ability to knock down shots, Medina adds. Johnson has also worked out with the Bulls and Spurs and plans to work out with the Celtics, Medina notes.

“I’m just going to be a complete and smart defender as well as a knockdown shooter,” Anderson said. “I’ll use my physicality and strength and be as complete as I can be. Whatever system I land, I know I can adjust.”

Here’s more news on the draft:

Stanford’s Anthony Brown also worked out with the Lakers, and his shooting ability could be of use to the to the Lakers, who own the second, 27th and 34th picks, Medina writes in a separate story. Brown shot 44.1% from 3-point range in two seasons at Stanford, Medina notes. The Lakers received poor shooting seasons from several players, including Nick Young, who shot a career-low 37% from the field, as Medina points out. “I’m a great shooter,” Brown said. “That’s the number one thing I hang my hat on, shooting the basketball. I’m also going to defend you. I’m a three-deep player.”
Stanford guard Chasson Randle‘s next workout will be with the Sixers, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets. Randle has already worked out for the Thunder and Celtics, Washburn adds.
Jarvis Threatt has workouts with the Wizards, Suns and Rockets next week, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets.
BYU’s Tyler Haws wants to hear his name called on draft night, but if he doesn’t, he will have opportunities to play overseas, Jeff Call of the Deseret News writes. “He’s got a couple of offers already overseas,” said BYU coach Dave Rose, who added he expects Haws to be drafted.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Beverley, Smith

May 31st, 2015 at 6:07pm CST by Will Joseph

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said he will make a push to add a player who is between 6’7″ and 6’9″ who can shoot 3-pointers in the draft, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes. The Grizzlies own the 25th pick. The Grizzlies’ workout on Friday featured Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, Arkansas’ Ky Madden, Florida State’s Aaron Thomas, Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton, Florida’s Chris Walker and Arizona’s Brandon Ashley, Tillery reports. Citing the team’s recent draft history, Tillery writes that the Grizzlies believe it’s very conceivable to find a player that is talented and ready to fill a need at that pick. Connaughton appeared to be the most intriguing player in the Grizzlies’ workout, Tillery adds, citing the 6’5″ guard’s 44-inch vertical leap, shooting ability and basketball savvy. GM Chris Wallace said that the pick has to end up being an asset.

“You’d love to have need and talent coincide,” Wallace said. “What you’re trying to do is get a player who is going to be with you for a while and help the team or someone that gains some interest around the league, and helps you make a transaction. Those are reasonable scenarios for picks in the 20s.”

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

Like he has expressed previously, Patrick Beverley, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is hopeful he will be with the Rockets next year, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “Hopefully it’s here,” Beverley said, per Berman. “I’m very loyal. This is the only team that took a chance on me. I understand it’s a business.” Reports in April indicated the Rockets would like to re-sign Beverley, who earned $915,243 this season.
Josh Smith is another free agent who has previously conveyed his desire to return to the Rockets next season, but the veteran understands how unpredictable the free agency climate can be, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “Coming into free agency, you never know what is going to happen,” Smith said. “You just hope for the best and stay positive. Just reflect right now and don’t worry about the future.” It was reported last month there there’s mutual interest between Smith and GM Daryl Morey in a new deal.

Western Draft Notes: Towns, Grant, Jazz

May 31st, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Karl-Anthony Towns will interview with the Wolves and the Lakers, but won’t work out for any teams, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports. The big man would relish the opportunity to play in Minnesota. “It would be a blessing and an honor to even have a chance to play for Minnesota and be able to have the chance to play for a great organization and learn from a great mentor like Kevin Garnett,” Towns said.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Jerian Grant, whom I profiled earlier today, will work out for the Raptors, Heat, Hornets, Nuggets and Wizards according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Grant previously worked out for the Pacers, Suns, Thunder and Rockets.
The Suns are looking for play-makers off their bench and Grant may be a good candidate for the No. 13 pick, Coro opines in the same piece. “We’re looking at the guys who could possibly be backup point guards,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “The more guys we can get on this team, whether it’s point guard, off-guard, three-man, center, forward, whatever it is — that bring intelligence to the game can only help us.”
The Jazz own the No. 12 selection in the draft and Kincade Upstill of the Deseret News wonders if the team should trade its pick. Upstill examines some hypothetical trades involving the team’s first-rounder, including an intriguing swap with the Clippers that involves sending J.J. Redick to the Jazz for Trey Burke and the No. 12 pick.

Draft Notes: Holmes, Christmas, Mickey, Vaughn

May 31st, 2015 at 10:26am CST by ChrisCrouse

Richaun Holmes, Rakeem Christmas, Jordan Mickey and Rashad Vaughn have improved their stocks considerably, as one Eastern Conference GM tells Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.

“All four have helped themselves so far during the workouts,” the anonymous GM said. “Vaughn has a chance to go in the first round. The other three are second-round picks. Although Christmas has apparently intrigued some teams at the bottom of the first round.”

Here’s more from Scotto on these prospects:

Holmes will work out for the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Raptors and Grizzlies as well as other teams that should bring him to roughly 15 workouts. He has already worked out for the Jazz, Spurs, Suns, Pacers and Mavericks. Holmes previously spoke with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors about how he changed his form to improve his shooting.
Mickey will work out for the Wolves and Spurs. He has already worked out for the Bulls, Rockets and Celtics. “I like Mickey,” an Eastern Conference GM told Scotto. “He’s an NBA shot blocker and rebounder. He’s a more athletic Taj Gibson.”
Vaughn has already worked out for the Heat and Pacers. “I really like Vaughn,” one GM told Scotto. “He’s a good shooter with range. He can get his own shot and is athletic.”

Southwest Notes: Davis, Gentry, Ariza, Beverley

May 30th, 2015 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans‘ Anthony Davis will be fully unleashed under new coach Alvin Gentry, writes Ben Golliver of SI.com. Golliver expects Gentry to bring an up-tempo attack to New Orleans, which had previously been one of the slowest teams in the league. He can foresee Davis thriving in that type of system, taking his athleticism and already impressive stats to new levels.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Gentry was a safe pick for the Pelicans, according to Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Smith writes that Gentry will be agreeable with GM Dell Demps‘ unorthodox method of building a roster, which often involves dealing draft picks for young players with experience. The columnist would have preferred a strong-willed coach like Jeff Van Gundy, who was reportedly a finalist for the position, or Tom Thibodeau, whom the team didn’t pursue. Smith contends that the hiring of Gentry means Demps is more secure than ever in his general manager’s position.
Trevor Ariza sees a bright future for the Rockets, even after a disappointing performance in the Western Conference Finals, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Ariza was brought in as a free agent last summer to improve the team’s defense after Chandler Parsons signed with the Mavericks. Ariza inked a four-year, $32MM deal and is hopeful that Houston can take the next step while he is part of the franchise. “Not every team comes together and wins straight away,” Ariza said. “When you do have that and you do find something that works, you want to continue. You want to build on that. Hopefully for us, we’ll be one of those teams that builds on what we accomplished.”
Parsons is trying to get former teammate Patrick Beverley to join him in Dallas, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Beverley will be a restricted free agent this summer, just as Parsons was last season, and the former teammates could reunite with the Mavericks. “I hear from Chandler every day,” Beverley said. “It’s hard, but I try not to think about it. I can’t talk about contracts. It’s going to be a fun summer.”

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Jones, Mavs

May 30th, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Rockets being eliminated from the Western Conference Finals, team owner Leslie Alexander said the team could add another star player to its roster provided the opportunity presented itself, Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston writes. When asked about making marquee roster additions, Alexander said, “Yes, but I don’t think the odds are as good as they were in the previous years. If you want to win big, you have to take big risks. I’ve always been willing to take the big risk to win big. I think most of the group will be intact. There’s always going to be change, obviously, but most of the group will be intact.” Alexander also believes his team would have advanced to the NBA Finals if not for injuries to Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas, Berman notes.

Here’s more from the NBA’s Southwest Division:

Duke point guard Tyus Jones has workouts scheduled for next week with both the Mavericks and the Rockets, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. You can view our full prospect profile for Jones here.
The Mavs held workouts on Friday for Brandon Ashley (Arizona), Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), and D.J. Newbill (Penn State) Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (Twitter link).
Rockets guard James Harden wants the team to add another playmaker to its roster so he won’t need to facilitate the offense as often as he did this season, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “That’s one of the conversations me and [GM] Daryl [Morey] are going to have [and] the coaches,” Harden said. “That’s one of the pieces to add, but that’s later conversations. We’ll be all right. We’re very confident in the group we have. This summer we have to work hard and be ready for next year.”

Western Notes: Rockets, Muhammad, Lakers

May 28th, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Now that the Rockets have been eliminated from the playoffs the franchise will begin working toward its offseason plans. Josh Smith, Jason Terry, and Corey Brewer, all of whom are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, have indicated that they want to return to Houston next season, Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle writes. “I like the future if we can keep all the pieces together,” Smith said. “I like what the future holds for us. You never know in free agency what may occur. The city of Houston and this team has definitely embraced me for my individuality and the way I play the game. It would be great to do something special for the city and for this team.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Wolves swingman Shabazz Muhammad has parted ways with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management and signed with Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relays (Twitter link).
The Lakers held workouts earlier today for Justin Anderson, Askia Booker, Anthony Brown, Charles Jackson, Stefan Nastic, and Delon Wright, the team announced (via Twitter).
Arkansas forward Bobby Portis is scheduled to work out for the Thunder this Friday, Gary Washburn of Boston Globe tweets.
The Nuggets brought in Florida guard Michael Frazier for a workout today, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (Twitter link).
Center Andrew Bogut praised the Warriors‘ front office for keeping the core of the team intact and not going for a “home run” in the NBA draft, via trades, or through free agency, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (on Twitter).

Southwest Notes: Gasol, Calathes, Draft

May 28th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

One comment that Marc Gasol made to Spanish media should be encouraging for the Grizzlies, while another appears to fuel Spurs hope. Gasol said that he hasn’t thought about changing teams and once more cited his deep roots in Memphis, according to Adriano Correal of Gigantes del Basket (translation via HoopsHype). Still, he called the Spurs a model franchise and expressed his admiration of Tim Duncan, as Abraham Romero of Diario As passes along (translation via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News). The Spurs are the team the Grizzlies fear the most among Gasol’s suitors, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com recently reported. Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Nick Calathes told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype that his primary goal is to remain in the NBA and denied a report from Javier Maestro of Encestando.es that he wanted to leave the NBA and that his camp had offered his services to Barcelona of Spain (translation via HoopsHype). Calathes, whose contract with Memphis expires at the end of next month, is nonetheless expected to draw pursuit from several European teams, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia, who says the 26-year-old stands to make more money overseas than he would remaining in the NBA. The Grizzlies can match competing NBA bids for him if they tender a qualifying offer worth more than $1.147MM.
The Mavs on Wednesday were set to work out Florida shooting guard Michael Frazier, Villanova small forward Darrun Hilliard, Nebraska swingman Terran Petteway, Arkansas shooting guard Michael Qualls, Baylor small forward Royce O’Neale and Incarnate Word combo guard Denzel Livingston, a source told Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link).
Terrence Jones questioned whether he would ever play again after suffering a nerve injury earlier this season that knocked him out for nearly three months, so he’s not too upset that the Rockets benched him during the playoffs, as Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle examines. Jones is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

Rockets Rumors: McDaniels, Terry, Beverley

May 25th, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

K.J. McDaniels hopes to re-sign with the Rockets this summer when he’s expected to enter restricted free agency, as he said to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (All Twitter links). The Rockets can reserve the right to match competing bids for the rookie, who has missed the playoffs with a fractured wrist, if they tender a qualifying offer worth slightly more than $1.045MM.

In other news regarding the Rockets:

Jason Terry will play again next season, he told Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “100%,” the veteran point guard said to Stein before Monday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Terry, an unrestricted free agent after the season, moved into the starting lineup when Patrick Beverley suffered a season-ending wrist injury. The Rockets will try to re-sign Terry, Stein adds.
Beverley expressed his desire to remain with the Rockets but his value has gone up during his absence in the playoffs, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Rockets were able to advance to the conference finals without him but their weakened perimeter defense has been exposed by the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Feigen continues. “I think I have a gift very few people have,” Beverley said to Feigen. “I know I’m the best on-ball defender in the NBA. I’m the best point guard defender in the NBA. I think the whole league knows that.” Beverley had a bargain-rate contract of $915,243 this season and is seeking a substantial raise and long-term security. “I put myself in position these last couple years to be successful and take care of my family for the rest of my life,” he added to Feigen. “I’ve been here three years on a minimum contract. At the end of the day, I have to understand business is business.”

Draft Notes: Rozier, Looney, Timberwolves

May 25th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA draft is just one month from tonight. The lottery and the combine are finished, so team workouts will be the main focus from now until draft night. Now that we know where every team will pick, we debuted our mock draft this weekend, and we’re continuing with our Prospect Profile series. Here’s more on the draft as the event starts to get close:

Louisville point guard Terry Rozier has made a habit of overcoming the odds, and he didn’t disappoint in his workout with the Jazz this weekend, according to Utah vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin, as Carter Williams of the Deseret News examines. The Jazz were one of 17 teams scheduled to audition Rozier, Williams writes, a group that apparently includes the Rockets and Spurs.
Kevon Looney added the Nets, Wizards, Jazz, Suns, Bulls, Cavs, Raptors, Hawks and Knicks to the list of the teams he interviewed with at the draft combine earlier this month, as the UCLA power forward revealed to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Looney is a raw prospect, but even though he feels he could have improved if he’d stayed in college, he tells Medina that he’s confident he can also develop at the NBA level.
Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright, LSU power forward Jordan Mickey, Texas combo forward Jonathan Holmes and Louisville swingman Wayne Blackshear are among the players tentatively scheduled to work out Friday for the Timberwolves, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).