Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mike Miller Halts Talks With Nuggets

July 11th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Cray Allred

10:11pm: The Grizzlies have informed Miller that the team will be going in another direction and won’t be bringing him back, Miller announced via his twitter account.

4:23pm: James reached out to Miller again today, and Cavs officials have done so, too, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Miller continues to consider the Nuggets, Thunder and Grizzlies, Goodman adds.

FRIDAY, 3:37pm: Miller has stopped negotiations with the Nuggets and is “exploring every option” that would allow him to join James in Cleveland, with the Cavs reportedly having been in pursuit.

WEDNESDAY, 8:06pm: Free agent Mike Miller is close to agreeing on a deal with the Nuggets, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Grizzlies, Cavs, Thunder, Rockets, and Blazers have all shown interest in signing the sharpshooter this offseason. Miller was preparing to decide on his destination early in free agency, but met with Denver in recent days after being underwhelmed by the Grizzlies offer to retain him.

The Cavs were the most recent team to chase Miller in the hopes of enticing LeBron James to sign in Cleveland. James had reportedly reached out to Miller to pitch a reunion between the two if James were to leave the Heat in the coming days. There has been no report of Miller’s eagerness to rejoin James, so this news doesn’t shed any light on LeBron’s looming decision.

Whatever deal Miller signs will net him salary in addition to most of the $6.6MM owed to him by Miami from his amnestied contract that runs through next season. A multi-year deal for the 34-year-old would add financial security for the oft-injured shooting guard, and his projected role could also be a significant factor as he chooses his next team. The Nuggets are widely considered the least title-ready team of the teams pursuing him.

Cavs Trade Alonzo Gee To Pelicans

July 11th, 2014 at 4:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:46pm: The deal is official, the Cavs announce. Gee goes to the Pelicans, and Cleveland will get the Clippers’ 2016 second-round pick, which New Orleans acquired in a previous trade, protected through pick No. 55. If it doesn’t fall within the final five selections in 2016, the Pelicans don’t owe the Cavs anything.

4:36pm: The Cavs will still acquire No. 45 overall pick Dwight Powell from Charlotte as part of a reworked Haywood deal, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

3:09pm: The Pelicans will waive Gee upon receiving him from the Cavs, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

2:57pm: The Cavs and Pelicans have struck agreement on a deal that sends Alonzo Gee to New Orleans, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the teams were close to a deal, which nullifies the agreement that Cleveland had to send Gee to the Hornets for Brendan Haywood. Cleveland apparently still plans to acquire Haywood from Charlotte via other means, as Stein reported. A source also told Stein that Gee could wind up as part of the Pelicans’ deal with the Rockets to acquire Omer Asik,

Gee’s $3MM salary for this season is non-guaranteed, so it’s conceivable that the Pelicans envision waiving him to create the necessary cap flexibility to accommodate their deal for Asik, though that assumes New Orleans is giving up salary as part of the trade. The Cavs are reportedly still trying to clear room for a max contract for LeBron James, as Stein wrote earlier, and losing Gee, whose salary can be taken off the books, wouldn’t advance Cleveland toward that end unless other deals are in the works.

The 27-year-old Gee has been a part of the rotation for Cleveland for the better part of the last two seasons, and he started all 82 games in 2012/13. He mostly came off the bench this past season, averaging 4.0 points in 15.7 minutes per game.

Bosh Mulling Max Offers From Heat, Rockets

July 11th, 2014 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:02pm: Miami has offered Bosh a deal for five seasons at the maximum salary in hopes of dissuading him from taking Houston’s four-year max offer, TNT’s David Aldridge reports (Twitter link). Only Miami can offer the fifth year.

3:52pm: The Heat are putting up a fight to keep Bosh, who’s set to make his decision today, Wojnarowski tweets.

1:55pm: Bosh will speak with Rockets coach Kevin McHale soon, and he’s nearing a commitment to the Rockets, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter).

1:28pm: The Heat would target Patrick Beverley in sign-and-trade talks, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).

1:10pm: The Rockets won’t reach out to the Heat about any sign-and-trade scenarios until they receive a firm commitment from Bosh, Wojnarowski tweets.

12:21pm: The Rockets believe that Bosh will commit to them soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

12:03pm: Bosh and the Rockets are moving quickly toward securing a deal, Wojnarowski tweets, seemingly indicating that he’s headed to Houston. If they do reach agreement, the Rockets will match the Mavs’ offer sheet for Chandler Parsons, Wojnarowski hears, echoing an earlier report.

FRIDAY, 11:55am: In the wake of James’ decision to sign with the Cavs, Bosh hasn’t made up his mind about signing with Houston, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick, though the Rockets believe they’ll have a commitment soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Rockets are moving quickly to complete a deal for Jeremy Lin to clear the necessary cap room for Bosh, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). They’ll also have to finalize their deal to send Omer Asik to the Pelicans, and the Pelicans are considering waiving Austin Rivers and using the stretch provision to clear cap space, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets, since they still don’t have room for Asik.

THURSDAY, 7:54am: Bosh has yet to decide whether he’d sign with the Rockets, regardless of what happens with LeBron, agent Henry Thomas tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston.

9:01pm: A source denies that any contingency plan is in place with Bosh and Houston, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.

6:57pm: Bosh’s intention would be to leave Miami for Houston if LeBron doesn’t re-sign with the Heat, league sources tell Wojnarowski. The Rockets are prepared to clear enough cap room to offer Bosh a four-year, $88MM contract per Wojnarowski’s sources, although it remains to be seen if Chandler Parsons‘ looming offer sheet signing with the Mavs adds a wrinkle to those plans.

WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: The Rockets and Bosh’s camp are in talks today amid uncertainty over where LeBron will play next season, Wojnarowski tweets.

TUESDAY, 7:20am: Wojnarowski clarifies his report about Bosh’s desire to play in Miami, tweeting that while Bosh indeed prefers to play there, he’s still open to Houston’s offer.

MONDAY, 1:56pm: Bosh is waiting to find out what James is going to do, not the other way around, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).

1:47pm: Bosh spoke with the Rockets this morning for the first time, Wojnarowski writes. He still prefers to remain with the Heat and play with James, but the Rockets would be Bosh’s top choice should he leave Miami, according to Wojnarowski adds.

1:10pm: Chris Bosh is considering a max offer from the Rockets, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bosh received a lower offer from the Heat and spoke to LeBron James this weekend, Broussard adds.

Bosh’s camp and the Rockets had been continuing conversations today after Houston started making a strong push for the Henry Thomas client. Bosh hadn’t personally spoken with any Rockets officials as of last night, but it appears Houston is moving quickly on the sharpshooting big man. It also appears to indicate that the Rockets aren’t waiting around for either James or Carmelo Anthony to decide on their destinations. Perhaps they feel they’re out of the running for one or both of them, though that’s just my speculation.

The 30-year-old has expressed on multiple occasions that he’d like to remain in Miami, and he still prefers to play with James on the Heat next season, as Wojnarowski reported this morning. His conversation this weekend with James seems to have given Bosh the notion that James might not be back with the Heat next season.

Rockets, Lakers Close To Jeremy Lin Deal

July 11th, 2014 at 1:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:53pm: The Lakers would send cash and the rights to a draft-and-stash prospect playing overseas, but no salary, to Houston, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

1:50pm: A future first-round pick and other draft considerations would accompany Lin from the Rockets to the Lakers as part of the deal the teams are nearing, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

1:40pm: The Rockets and Lakers are finalizing a deal that would send Lin to the Lakers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

12:54pm: The Rockets are attempting to trade Jeremy Lin to the Lakers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A report earlier this week indicated that Houston had a deal in place to send Lin to the Sixers, though Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote earlier today that the sides were merely discussing such a deal. Houston is trying to get rid of Lin’s salary in an effort to clear cap room for Chris Bosh, whom the Rockets believe will commit to them soon.

The Lakers missed out on LeBron James, and it seems as though Carmelo Anthony has narrowed his choices to the Knicks and Bulls, so that might motivate the Lakers to take on Lin’s expiring contract and concentrate instead on next summer’s free agent market. Lin’s cap hit for the coming season will be close to $8.4MM, but because of his backloaded deal signed via the Gilbert Arenas Provision, he’ll make close to $15MM in actual salary.

Rockets, Sixers In Talks On Jeremy Lin Deal

July 11th, 2014 at 12:19pm CST by Cray Allred

FRIDAY, 12:19pm: The Rockets and Sixers are currently in talks about a Lin deal, but no agreement has been reached, a source tells Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 11:55pm: The Rockets have a deal in place to send Jeremy Lin to the Sixers if Houston is able to sign Chris Bosh, league sources tell Mitch Lawrence of New York Daily News. The trade would give the Rockets needed cap flexibility in their attempt to make room for Bosh.

The Sixers were reportedly open to such a trade, but wanted to receive a first rounder from Houston as part of the agreement. Lawrence doesn’t report the specifics of compensation, but it seems likely Philadelphia’s demand has been met. That’s speculation on my part, since the Sixers would appear to have more leverage considering the Rockets are being squeezed into a three-day window to have any chance of securing Bosh alongside Chandler Parsons, who agreed to sign a max offer sheet with Dallas that Houston will have 72 hours to match or decline.

The move would work in conjunction with Houston’s pending agreement to send Omer Asik to the Pelicans, which still depends upon New Orleans’ ability to clear salary before taking back the big man’s contract. Lin and Asik have identical contracts that include a balloon payment exceeding the cap hit in the final year, which is the approaching 2014/15 season.

Knicks Notes: ‘Melo, Stoudemire, Bargnani

July 10th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Charlie Adams

After Carmelo Anthony had meetings with New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, a source tells Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report that Anthony was most impressed with the Bulls’ pitch (Twitter link). Despite the reported strong impression, ‘Melo is still deciding between the aforementioned three teams, says Zwerling, who adds the superstar forward remains intrigued at the notion of teaming up with Kobe Bryant as well the prospect of playing under the bright lights in New York again. More out of the Big Apple..

The Mavericks and Rockets are out of the running for Anthony, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. ‘Melo hasn’t given the pair of Texas teams any formal notice saying as much, but the source suggests the Knicks, Lakers, and Bulls are the only teams the superstar is considering.
The rumored conversations between the Knicks and Sixers about a deal that would send Amar’e Stoudemire to New York haven’t been able to gain any traction, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Shedding Andrea Bargnani‘s bloated contract would likely cost the Knicks two first-round picks, multiple league executives tell Berger. Given that the Knicks don’t own their 2016 pick, Phil Jackson would likely have to part with Tim Hardaway Jr. to obtain another one.

Free Agent Rumors: ‘Melo, LeBron, Morrow, Blake

July 10th, 2014 at 8:53pm CST by Charlie Adams

Phil Jackson might be expecting Carmelo Anthony to rejoin the Knicks, but ‘Melo hasn’t ruled out the Bulls just quite yet, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Meanwhile, the Heat expected to have had an answer from LeBron James by this point, according to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick. James was frustrated with some of coach Erik Spoelstra‘s strategy during the Finals this year and wasn’t impressed with team president Pat Riley‘s end-of-season press conference last month, Skolnick adds.

While the NBA world waits on the decisions of superstars like Anthony and James, let’s round up the latest from free agents all around the league..

Anthony Morrow has received interest from several teams, but it appears he’s deciding between joining the Clippers, Heat, Wizards, Raptors and Suns, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com, who adds that each of the teams Morrow is considering would be willing to use some or all of their mid-level exception to sign him (Twitter links). Given that the Clippers and Heat have both used up the full amount of their mid-level exceptions, signing Morrow would likely require a sign-and-trade to complete.
The Warriors took “another” look at DJ White today, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter), thereby implying it’s at least the second time Golden State has looked at the big man. White had his rights renounced by Charlotte earlier today.
Other teams submitted much stronger bids for Steve Blake but he “desperately” wanted to play for the Blazers, as he agreed to do today, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link). The Lakers weren’t among the teams making an aggressive play for the point guard, as they offered only the minimum salary, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times hears.
The Jazz, Pelicans, Rockets, and Nets are interested in Francisco Garcia, a source tells Haynes (Twitter link).
The Wolves are making an effort to sign Evan Turner to one-year deal, a source tells tells Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com. Turner played poorly last season after being shipped to Indiana at the trade deadline.
The matter of whether Mike Miller will re-sign with the Grizzlies will likely come down to contract length rather than salary, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who writes in subscription-only piece. Memphis wants him back on a two-year deal, but Miller is pushing for three or four seasons.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been in contact with Paul Pierce‘s representatives at Excel Sports Management, but it’s unlikely the veteran forward ends up in Houston, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Alex Lee and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Rockets Receive Mavs Offer Sheet For Parsons

July 10th, 2014 at 6:03pm CST by Cray Allred

6:03pm: The three-day clock on the Parsons offer sheet will begin tonight at 11pm CDT, reports Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link), giving the Rockets until Sunday at that time to match. In a separate tweet, Price reports that the deal will pay Parsons $14.7MM next season, $15.36MM in 2015/16 and $16.02MM in 2016/17 for a total of $46.08MM over three years. Price also confirms the third year is a player option.

1:59pm: The Rockets have received the signed offer sheet from the Mavs, USA Today’s Sam Amick reports, so the possibility of a sign-and-trade is out and Houston’s three-day window to match will begin (Twitter link).

1:24pm: Parsons indeed signed the offer sheet, Wojnarowski clarifies, but it simply hasn’t been delivered to the Rockets, meaning it’s not official yet, and the clubs can continue to work toward a sign-and-trade (Twitter link).

12:55pm: Dallas and Houston are indeed in talks about a sign-and-trade involving Parsons, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski also says Parsons has yet to sign an offer sheet, repeating what Nelson told reporters earlier today. That’s in spite of the earlier report to the contrary and photos of Parsons signing paperwork that Mavs owner Cuban posted to a social media site, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News observed.

11:57pm: Nelson told reporters that the plan is to submit the offer sheet by the end of the night, notes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com (on Twitter), so it appears that’s the deadline for working out a sign-and-trade.

11:52pm: A possible sign-and-trade is in play for the Mavs and Rockets regarding Parsons, which is why Dallas is hesitating to submit the offer sheet, tweets Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

11:36am: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said the team hasn’t submitted any offer sheets, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. That suggests that while Parsons may have indeed signed the offer sheet, the Mavs haven’t officially given the Rockets notice, as required, to begin the three-day matching period.

10:37am: If the Rockets sign Bosh, they intend to match the offer sheet for Parsons if they can before their time to do so runs out, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). If they don’t sign Bosh, Houston is undecided on matching, Feigen adds.

THURSDAY, 8:04am: Parsons has signed the offer sheet, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes, but there’s been no announcement from the Mavs, so it’s unclear whether the Rockets have been officially notified and their three-day window to match the offer sheet has begun. The value of the trade kicker is the maximum 15%, according to Spears (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 8:06pm: The deal includes a trade kicker, tweets Spears.

5:56pm: The Mavs and Chandler Parsons have reached an agreement on an offer sheet for three years and approximately $46MM. The third year is a player option, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Marc Stein of ESPN.com was the first to report the agreement (on Twitter), and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has confirmed the pending deal (via Twitter). The max salary for a player of Parsons’ status on a three-year deal would be $46,228,710, as we learned earlier today, so Dallas has offered the max or close to it to the small forward.

Parsons will sign the offer sheet when the league moratorium is lifted at 12:01am EDT, a source tells Spears (Twitter link), and the Rockets will have three days to match the deal for their restricted free agent. Houston will be faced with a 72-hour window to resolve its pursuit of Chris Bosh if they want to retain both Parsons and add the Heat veteran, as Parsons currently minuscule cap hold will turn into a massive amount of salary if they match Dallas’ offer. The Rockets would no longer have room to sign Bosh at the max level in that scenario.

Houston chose to decline the slender $960K team option for Parsons this season in a move that preserved their right to match offers for the third-year forward in restricted free agency rather than see him become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Houston has planned on retaining Parsons through this process, although the outcome of their respective pursuits of Carmelo Anthony, Bosh, and LeBron James could have altered those plans. GM Daryl Morey has been in contact with the agents for Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng, and Paul Pierce today, tweets Wojnarowski and Sam Amick of USA Today, three small forwards that would make sense as contingency plans in the event Houston doesn’t match Dallas’ offer. As it stands, Houston hasn’t been notified that they are out of the running on Anthony or James, but don’t appear to be front runners for either star.

And-Ones: Dragic, Tolliver, Bogdanovic, Aldridge

July 9th, 2014 at 11:30pm CST by Cray Allred

Dahntay Jones has met with the Clippers, and has received interest from the Knicks, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Here’s more from around the league:

Zoran Dragic has signed a two-year contract extension with his Spanish League team, the Euroleague announced (H/T Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). NBA teams including the Rockets had shown interest in the brother of Goran Dragic. The original deal had a $500K NBA buyout clause for the upcoming season, although it is unclear if the extra years will feature the same flexibility.
Free agent Anthony Tolliver has been in serious discussions with six teams, including the Clippers, Cavs, Pistons, Spurs, Wizards, and Hornets, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Suns signed a declaration that the 2014 draft pick will not play in the NBA this season, a formality that clears his rookie scale cap hold from the team’s books, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports. Bogdanovic is signed overseas and can’t opt out until at least 2016.
LaMarcus Aldridge‘s choice to seek a new deal with the Blazers as a free agent next summer was one of two options presented him by Portland owner Paul Allen and GM Neil Olshey last month, reports Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The Blazers brass suggested the All-Star consider a three-year, $55MM extension he could sign immediately, or wait to become eligible for a five-year, $108MM max deal as an unrestricted free agent. “I don’t want it to be perceived that I’m not happy or I’m not staying on because I’m not signing a three-year deal,” Aldridge said. “It’s just financially smarter to wait … and I’m looking forward to signing the five-year deal when the chance comes.”
Considering the recent max offers extended to Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons, it seems certain that Klay Thompson will also merit a max deal when he becomes a free agent. Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group hears that the Warriors have budgeted measures to find room for the shooting guard, should he not be traded away in a deal for Kevin Love.

Eastern Rumors: Ariza, Celtics, Sixers

July 9th, 2014 at 10:21pm CST by Cray Allred

The Wizards have spoken with Luol Deng, but remain committed to re-signing Trevor Ariza, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Here’s more from the East:

Washington is prepared to offer Ariza a raise from last year’s $7.7MM salary, but not upwards of $9MM, which is what the small forward is reportedly seeking, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Both Ariza and the Wizards have anticipated waiting until LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony make their decisions before any progress for Ariza can be made.
J. Michael of CSNWashington.com tweets that Ariza is assured of receiving more more money from another team, but that the Wizards hope he will want to remain in Washington for less.
The Bulls are now being linked as suitors for Ariza by Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Rockets are weighing whether to match Chandler Parsons‘ offer sheet with the Mavs, or pursue Ariza at a lower price, tweets Broussard.
The Celtics like the newly acquired Tyler Zeller, but don’t have long term plans for Marcus Thornton, whom they acquired in the same three-team trade, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn says it’s likely Boston will deal away Thornton’s contract or let it expire.
Before the Celtics agreed to take part in today’s swap, the Cavs reached out to the Magic and just about every other team in the league as they sought a third team to take Thornton in a three-team deal with the Nets, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie acknowledged that his team is in position to help other clubs with its ample cap flexibility, pointing to that as a way to faciliate trades, as he told Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News as part of a Q&A.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.