Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Decline Chandler Parsons’ Option

June 30th, 2014 at 8:19am CST by Cray Allred

MONDAY, 8:19am: Houston has officially declined the option, the team announced.

SATURDAY, 12:58pm: The Rockets have informed Chandler Parsons that they’ve declined his team option for the 2014/15 season, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The news doesn’t come as much of a shock since we heard earlier this month that the team had planned on making such a move and letting Parsons hit restricted free agency.

It’s very likely that Parsons will be back in Houston next season. If the team had picked up their 2014/15 option worth roughly $960K, Parsons would hit unrestricted free agency during the summer of 2015, and Houston would risk losing the sharpshooting wing to a rival suitor. Electing to decline the team option will make Parsons a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Rockets can match any offer sheet presented to him.

In three years with Houston, Parsons has averaged 14.1 points per night and shot 47.3% from the floor. He’s proven himself to be one of the most valuable players selected in the 2011 draft, despite slipping out of the first round. Parsons played more minutes than any member of the Rockets last season.

By declining the team option, Houston will likely have to pay Parsons significantly more next season than they would have otherwise, but it appears they’re willing to sacrifice a bit of flexibility in order to keep Parsons on the squad long-term.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Francisco Garcia Opts Out

June 30th, 2014 at 8:17am CST by Zachary Links

JUNE 30TH: Garcia has informed the team that he has turned down his option and will hit free agency, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

JUNE 22ND: Francisco Garcia intends to opt out of his contract for 2014/15 with the Rockets, agent Aaron Goodwin tells Sam Amick of USA Today (on Twitter). Garcia would have earned $1.3MM with Houston next season but he’ll take a look elsewhere in hopes of a better deal.

Garcia, 32, averaged 5.7 points in 19.7 minutes per game over 55 regular season appearances for the Rockets, but his minutes dried up in the playoffs. He saw 18 minutes in Game 1 against the Blazers, four minutes in Game 2, and was squeezed out of the picture for the rest of the series in favor of Troy Daniels.

The Rockets have full Bird Rights on the swingman and they’ll have extra flexibility now that he is opting out. Garcia is a nice bench piece, but Houston is thinking much bigger with their sights set on Carmelo Anthony.

Draft Grades: Southwest Division

June 29th, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already run down the picks for the Atlantic, Central, Northwest, Pacific, and Southeast Divisions. We’ll finish up with a look at the Southwest Division:

Dallas Mavericks

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth

Draft Picks:

No picks

The Mavs owed this year’s first-round pick to the Thunder. They also traded last year’s first round selection, Shane Larkin, to the Knicks in the deal last week that netted them Tyson Chandler. Dallas is in win-now mode, and their biggest goal on draft night was to not burn up any cap space that they envision needing to lure Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James to the city. Dallas has tried this plan before and has so far been unable to get a second star or two to pair alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

It’s doubtful the Mavs will miss the second rounder they traded away, but the team has a hole at the point guard spot thanks to the Chandler deal, and the Dallas roster is getting up there in years. Sooner or later they’ll need to acquire some young, cheap depth.

Overall Draft Grade: D — No picks to work with, but getting Chandler back, two seasons too late though it may be, might ease the sting a little.

Houston Rockets

Team Needs: Defense, Power Forward, Point Guard, Center

Draft Picks:

No. 25 Clint Capela (Power Forward)
No. 42 Nick Johnson (Shooting Guard)

The Rockets are another franchise trying to clear cap space for a run at James or Anthony. Taking Capela, who will continue to play overseas for the next couple of seasons, was a smart pick. Capela is incredibly raw, but has off-the-charts athleticism, and has been compared to Serge Ibaka. Capela is a player I was very high on heading into the draft, and he might turn out to be a valuable addition or trade piece in the future.

Johnson was a solid pick. He’s very athletic, can shoot a bit, but he’ll spend more time in the D-League than with the first string this year.

Overall Draft Grade: C- — Capela is an intriguing prospect and Johnson was a good value pick. The team could have been a bigger player on draft night but instead is hanging its hopes on adding another star to the lineup instead.

Memphis Grizzlies

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Scoring

Draft Picks:

No. 22 Jordan Adams (Shooting Guard)
No. 35 Jarnell Stokes (Power Forward)*

*Acquired via trade with Jazz for a future second round pick.

I’m not a fan of what the Grizzlies did on draft night. The team badly needs scoring and some athleticism. Adams could provide the scoring, but he won’t blow anyone away with his physical tools. I don’t know if Adams will be able to defend enough to stay on the court, and his lack of speed will make it difficult to get off his own shot. With some of the other players available at No. 22, such as Rodney Hood and P.J. Hairston, I can’t help but think the team overshot on Adams.

Stokes is a punishing inside presence, and should work his way into the team’s rotation by the end of the year. He’ll fit right in with Memphis’ style of play.

Overall Draft Grade: C — Not a fan of the Adams pick, but the team had him ranked fifth on its draft board, so maybe they know something others don’t. Stokes was a solid pick and should become a useful addition.

New Orleans Pelicans

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth

Draft Picks:

No. 47 Russ Smith (Point Guard)*

*Acquired in trade with Sixers that sent them the rights to Pierre Jackson.

The Pelicans dealt away their first-rounder to the Sixers in the Jrue Holiday trade last year. They also traded last year’s second-round pick, Jackson, for Smith. This begs the question, what do the Pelicans have against Jackson? Smith is almost an identical player to Jackson, and with work he could become a decent reserve guard when the team needs a change of pace.

Overall Draft Grade: D — The team could have had Elfrid Payton with the pick it traded for Holiday. Holiday has a proven track record, but has battled injuries and is more expensive. I also don’t get the logic in trading Jackson for Smith, so that was no help. Thankfully the Pelicans picked up Omer Asik via trade, so that will be their big addition for now.

San Antonio Spurs

Team Needs: Youth, Depth, Power Forward

Draft Picks:

No. 30 Kyle Anderson (Small Forward)

The best organization in the league might have done it again. Anderson is a flawed player, for sure. He’s slow, not very athletic, and will have issues on defense. But he’s also a player who in the right system can make others around him better. That sounds like the prototypical Spurs player to me.

Anderson has been compared to Boris Diaw, who was a very effective and valuable piece for the team’s championship run. Heading into the draft my feeling was that Anderson needed to end up with a heavy ball movement team in order to be of any value. He would be a great fit in the triangle offense, but should benefit equally from San Antonio’s offensive scheme as well.

Overall Draft Grade: A- — With the last pick of the first round, the Spurs nab a player who fits their system perfectly. Anderson should develop nicely into a productive role player. The rich get richer it seems.

Western Notes: Lakers, Parsons, Honeycutt

June 29th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

If they are unable to land Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, the Lakers are also expected to have a strong interest in Wizards free-agent forward Trevor Ariza, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Pistons center Greg Monroe, and Suns forward Channing Frye, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Southwest Rumors: Covington, Mavs, Anderson

June 28th, 2014 at 7:23pm CST by Cray Allred

Robert Covington is in the Rockets plans for next season, but a lot could change before then, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Only $150,000 of Covington’s $816,482 salary is guaranteed, and it could be on the chopping block if Houston needs the space to sign one of their free agent targets. Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

Mavs owner Mark Cuban told 103.3 FM ESPN Dallas that his team will be aggressive in free agency, but won’t be offering max contracts to anyone (transcription via Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com).
Cuban added that Mavs coach Rick Carlisle is one of the biggest draws to Dallas for prospective players. “Rick has got the skill set and we’ve got veteran guys who know how to implement offensive and defensive strategies that really give us a unique opportunity. That’s something that very few teams can say,” said Cuban. “If you look at other teams with cap room and then you just look at their coach and if they’ve made the playoffs, you look at how their playoff runs went, you’re not looking at them and saying, ‘Wow, that team really …’ I don’t want to throw anybody under the bus, but their coaches are not as good as Rick Carlisle.”
The Spurs selection of Kyle Anderson does not indicate that San Antonio is planning for life without free-agent-to-be Boris Diaw, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). McDonald projects Anderson as likely to go on frequent assignments to the Spurs D-League affiliate this coming season.

Lawrence’s Latest: Boozer, ‘Melo, Grizzlies

June 28th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Charlie Adams

There’s genuine fear within the Bulls’ front office that owner Jerry Reinsdorf will refuse to use the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer this summer, passes along Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Chicago will have a hard time creating the cap room necessary to pursue marquee names if they don’t find a way to get Boozer off the books. Here’s more from Lawrence:

Carmelo Anthony would be interested in teaming up with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, says Lawrence, but the Lakers are unlikely to have the cap space to bring in both superstars.
It sounds as if the Rockets‘ pursuit of ‘Melo is unlikely to result in a success. “The only reason Carmelo will go to Houston to listen (to the Rockets) is because of Kevin McHale,” a source told Lawrence. “If the coach wasn’t a top-50, all-time player or was a lesser-name coach, then ‘Melo wouldn’t even visit there. But he’ll listen because it’s Kevin McHale.“
The Grizzlies are interested in bringing aboard former Knicks president Glen Grunwald to come in and serve under Chris Wallace for two years before taking over the reins as GM, Lawrence writes. That echoes an earlier report from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com but appears to add an expiration date for Wallace’s time in charge of the front office.
One league source told Lawrence that he wasn’t sure if Bruno Caboclo was even worth a second-round selection. The Raptors selected Caboclo with the 20th pick in the draft, and Lawrence writes that it’s virtually impossible to find a GM who agrees with their decision.
Utah’s decision to draft Dante Exum isn’t surprising since the the Jazz aren’t sold on Trey Burke as a franchise point guard, reveals Lawrence.
Dirk Nowitzki won’t even consider signing with a team other than the Mavs this summer, Lawrence confirms.

Knicks Confident About Re-Signing ‘Melo

June 28th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Cray Allred

Sources tell Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that the Knicks are “quietly confident” they will be able to re-sign Carmelo Anthony, in part due to the star forward’s growing bond with president Phil Jackson. ‘Melo will be chased by teams that appear closer to a championship than New York in free agency, but the Knicks are hoping that their recent trade with the Mavericks, which provided an upgrade at point guard with Jose Calderon, will make their roster more appealing to Anthony.

With head coach Derek Fisher and the newly acquired point guard Calderon, Jackson has put in place some of the pieces for his cherished triangle offense. If Anthony re-signs in New York, one of the biggest remaining gaps for the system would be a skilled big man. The ESPN scribes’ source says that Jackson is planning on pursuing Pau Gasol at a discounted rate to fill that need this summer, and the team has its eye on his brother Marc Gasol for the 2015/16 season, when the Grizzlies center will be a free agent. Currently, the most the Knicks could offer Pau would be the taxpayer’s mid-level exception of $3.278MM, a steep pay decrease from his $19.3MM salary in 2013/14.

This summer will be a highly intriguing one for the Knicks. The hiring of Jackson brought hope to a franchise that has bumbled away opportunities and flexibility for years. Knicks fans have been hoping the Zen Master could work his magic and turn the Knicks’ straw to gold. While a typical turnaround for a franchise as limited as New York requires some losing and patience to regain cap space and assets, Jackson would certainly increase his legend if he could jump start the turnaround in his first year as a front office executive.

‘Melo To Meet With Lakers, Rockets, Mavs, Bulls

June 27th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 12:43pm: Anthony will also sit down with the Lakers to hear their free agent pitch as he envisions making a decision in the second week of July, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Knicks would be willing to offer a max deal to Anthony if necessary to retain him in spite of Jackson’s repeated requests that he take a discount, Spears also hears.

WEDNESDAY, 4:33pm: Anthony hasn’t identified a favorite yet, Broussard writes in a full piece. The meetings haven’t been formally arranged, since teams can’t yet reach out to Anthony, but those are the clubs Anthony has decided to visit, Broussard clarifies. The Knicks remain “very much alive” in the ‘Melo sweepstakes, Broussard adds, reiterating his earlier report that Kobe Bryant intends to reach out to Anthony, too.

4:18pm: Carmelo Anthony will sit down with representatives from the Rockets, Mavs and Bulls when free agency begins on July 1st, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Leon Rose client has already met on multiple occasions with Knicks president Phil Jackson and his staff.

That list of teams doesn’t include the Lakers, who appeared this week to be in a group with Houston, Dallas and Chicago at the forefront of the race for the high-scoring forward. Still, there’s nearly a week to go before the start of free agency, so the Lakers may still wind up meeting with him.

The Mavs would appear to have the easiest shot at Anthony given their cap flexibility, and it appears that would be true even with the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, as rumored. The Rockets and Bulls would have to perform some salary cap gymnastics, but Houston appears confident it can dump the salaries of Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, and the Bulls have the option of amnestying Carlos Boozer. Such maneuvers might not be enough to clear money to make a competitive bid for Anthony on their own, but they’d erase the most significant salary hurdles for those teams.

Wolves Trade No. 53 Pick To Rockets

June 27th, 2014 at 1:26am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 1:26am: The trade is official, the Rockets announced (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 11:05pm: The Wolves have agreed to send the No. 53 pick to the Rockets in exchange for cash, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Italian shooting guard Alessandro Gentile is the selection, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (on Twitter).

Several Teams Eyeing Trade For Clint Capela

June 26th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

9:21pm: Several teams have interest in trading for Swiss power forward Clint Capela, whom the Rockets took with the 25th pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

8:33pm: The Rockets are dangling tonight’s No. 25 overall pick in trade talks as they look to unload salary, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The development is no surprise, given Houston’s desire to clear cap room for a run at marquee free agents like Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kyle Lowry.

The 25th pick in this year’s draft represents a cap hold of $991K. Most first-round draft picks sign for 120% of the rookie scale, which in this case would mean a salary of $1,189,200 for next season, though some toward the end of the round wind up settling for less than that. Andre Roberson signed for the minimum 80% of the scale after Oklahoma City took him 26th last year.