Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Links: ‘Melo, Granger, Sixers

February 25th, 2014 at 10:44pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Last summer, Dwight Howard decided to leave $30MM in extra earnings on the table in order to find a situation that gave him the best chance to win – a situation that Carmelo Anthony faces in July if he decides to opt out of his contract. Based on the Rockets’ success this year, Sam Amick of USA Today says that there’s no better blueprint for Anthony to follow than Howard’s. Dwight, who says he spoken with Carmelo about that dynamic, offered some advice:

“I know he has just got to do what’s best for him…I’ve been through it. I’ve seen it. The same people that love you one day, if you don’t do what they want you to do, then they’re going to hate you. You’ve got to always remember that you’ve got to do what’s best for you at the end of the day. If people don’t like you, you can’t stop that.”

Here’s more of what we’ve gathered from the Atlantic Division tonight:

Following a recent loss to the Hawks, Anthony told reporters: “It’s definitely testing me…The frustration has definitely sunk in, just from the simple fact we’re losing games the same way over and over and we’re just not learning from that.” After last night’s crushing loss to the Mavs, he told Clifton Brown of the New York TImes, “You score 40, 44, 44, 44, all losses — you kind of ask yourself is it worth it.”
76ers head coach Brett Brown says he isn’t annoyed that Danny Granger would rather play for a contending team instead of Philadelphia, writes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. Brown also discussed the team’s rebuilding situation: “This is a very different rebuild than the others…It is completely at the bare bones. It just puts a pretty definitive timeline and set of reality checks on all of us that we have a lot of work to do.”
Brown added that he has plenty of faith in the front office: “I trust Sam Hinkie’s judgment on the process that just happened and the process that’s coming up…I can’t wait to be a part of it, with all of our draft picks. Draft night is one of my favorite nights.”
Jimmer Fredette‘s family would be ecstatic if he could somehow find his way to the Knicks once he’s bought out by the Kings, writes Christian Red of the New York Daily News.

Forsberg’s Latest: Fredette, Asik, Green

February 25th, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Some Celtics fans may have been upset with their team’s the lack of activity around the trade deadline, but Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston opines that acquiring Jimmer Fredette (if he reaches a buyout agreement in Sacramento) would be the perfect mea culpa, especially with the city’s ‘love’ of reclamation projects. All in all, Forsberg suggests that Fredette would be better suited to join a contender at this point, where he’d have an opportunity to jump-start his career in an offense-focused role and the expectations would be minimal.

Here’s more out of his latest Celtics mailbag:

Forsberg wonders if the team would revisit efforts to acquire Omer Asik from the Rockets this summer, when they’ll have a $10.3MM trade exception as well as plenty of draft picks to offer.
As with many players on the roster, Jeff Green‘s future in Boston could be tied in part to the draft and whether the Celtics end up drafting a player at his position.
There’s always the chance that Kelly Olynyk becomes trade fodder, but Forsberg believes the more cap-effective route would be to nurture the young center and hope his game continues to evolve.
When asked who he thinks will definitely return next year, Forsberg says that with so much hinging on the Celtics’ draft position and who they add on draft night, it’s difficult to say with any certainty. The exceptions are head coach Brad Stevens and – unless they can find a taker by giving up some assets – Gerald Wallace.
Colton Iverson’s NBA future depends on how crowded Boston’s roster is and his development. The team currently owns his rights and has kept tabs on him overseas, and Forsberg notes that the 7’0 center can rejoin the team for summer league with a chance to compete for an official roster spot.
As for the lack of trades around the deadline, Forsberg says the team put a high price on their talent, and as evidenced with the lack of activity around the league, few teams were willing to give up draft picks to acquire players.

Odds & Ends: Onuaku, Collins, Johnson, Faried

February 23rd, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Danny Granger was the biggest name involved in a deadline deal and Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee explains why that might have been the case. “We’ve seen a trend toward teams being much more cautious and careful about how aggressive they are about trading for longer-term contracts, and that’s because of the luxury tax,” Tom Penn, an ESPN analyst and former Blazers vice president of basketball operations told Jones. “The other major change in the new deal is draft picks have become more coveted, and that’s because teams can no longer throw cash into trades as aggressively.” The old CBA allowed clubs to include as much as $3MM in a trade. The current CBA says that teams can only trade up to $3.2MM on the year. More from around the league..

The Cavs announced that they have recalled Arinze Onuaku from the Canton Charge of the D-League. Onuaku has appeared in 27 games for the Charge this season with averages of 14.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 24.2 MPG.
Even with the Nets‘ signing of Jason Collins and the Clippers’ agreement with Glen Davis, those teams are still possible destinations for Ivan Johnson, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Charania spoke with Kenneth Faried about all the trade talk surrounding him leading up to the trade deadline on Thursday. “I’m not surprised at all that my name was in trade situations, because I am a good player and people do want me,” the Nuggets forward said. “It just makes me that much more aware of how many other teams want me and like me.”
Sometimes, the best moves are the ones that you don’t make. Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders argues that the Rockets didn’t need a blockbuster deal at the deadline.
Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if the Knicks would have signed Collins.

Western Notes: Clippers, Bazemore, Jackson

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Cray Allred

Kent Bazemore is hoping he becomes more known for his play than for his sideline celebrations as a new member of the Lakers. While many fans are excited for “Bazemoring” to combine with Lakers center Robert Sacre‘s antics on the bench, coach Mike D’Antoni tells Bill Oram of The Orange County Register he wants to see what Bazemore can add on the floor. “I’ll ask him if he wants to play,” D’Antoni joked, “or sit on the bench and be that guy. We’ll ask him. See what his response will be.” Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details how the Clippers spent money to save money in the deadline deals in which they sent Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens to the Hawks and Sixers, respectively. These kind of maneuvers are often a sign of a team eyeing the bottom line, but the Clippers are also shaving salary in preparation for adding more talent through the buyout market.
A GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he understands Pierre Jackson‘s decision to play overseas, but thinks Jackson is close to making it in the NBA and wishes the rookie would have stayed in the D-League. The same GM says that his team would have given Jackson a shot, but that their hands were tied (Twitter links). Jackson opted to sign in Turkey after he and the Pelicans couldn’t reach a deal this late into the season.
The Rockets‘ newly acquired Jordan Hamilton tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that he’s excited to join Houston and try for a championship. “I’ve been watching the Rockets a lot this year,” Hamilton said after his first workout with his new team. “They’re a great team. Yes, we do have a chance to go far in the playoffs and possibly get a championship so I’m just happy to be a part of it.” The 23-year-old small forward came to the Rockets from the Nuggets in exchange for point guard Aaron Brooks in a trade earlier this week.

International Notes: Papanikolaou, Brown, Odom

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:39pm CST by Cray Allred

The international scope of the NBA continues to grow, as teams become more and more invested in finding talent from all over the globe. Jusuf Nurkic is ranked as just the 33rd best prospect for the 2014 draft by Chad Ford of ESPN, but that’s enough potential to get eight NBA scouts in the stands at a Serbian basketball game, according to a tweet from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Here are some more things we have our eye on from overseas today:

Kostas Papanikolaou is very likely to sign with the Rockets this summer, reports Givony (Twitter link). Houston owns the rights to the power forward, who is playing for FC Barcelona on the first year of a four-year deal he signed this offseason. It is likely the Rockets would have to work out a buyout with the Spanish team to bring him stateside, although the details of his contract are unclear.
Bobby Brown could be an addition at point guard for an NBA team once his season in China ends two weeks from now, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. The Clippers were the last team rumored as a potential destination for Brown, although that came at a time when Chris Paul was still out with a shoulder injury.
The contract Lamar Odom recently signed with a Spanish team can be terminated in the first week by the team, and it also includes an option for a second year, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter links). It’s unclear if that’s a team or player option. The early termination window is there in case Odom isn’t in shape, but that does not appear to be an issue.

Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown

February 22nd, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Charlie Adams

Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:

According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.

Western Notes: Brooks, Brewer, Rockets

February 22nd, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

MarShon Brooks isn’t accustomed to a significant role, but he’s ready to play as a member of the Lakers. His impressive performance against the C’s last night left some wondering if he considered the matchup a “revenge game,” but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along that Brooks doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his old team. “You know what, a lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics,” Brooks said. “But I guarantee you that there’s no one happier for me than Brad Stevens and [Celtics assistant] Jay Larranaga.” Here’s more from the West..

After being waived by the Rockets, Ronnie Brewer tells Mark Berman of My FOX Houston he will look to land with another team. “The NBA is a business,” the 28-year old said. “You got to accept the decision. You have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and hopefully a team can pick you up for the remainder of the season.”
It appears that the Rockets are unlikely to pursue anyone in the buyout market, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen says the indications are that Houston is done making moves for the year.
The Thunder assigned rookie Andre Roberson to the D-League again on Friday, as Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate announced (Twitter link).
J.J. Barea admits to anxiety in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move on and continue his recent strong play for the Timberwolves, reports Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Shannon Brown would like to re-sign with the Spurs, but there’s interest from other teams if that doesn’t happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to sign him for the rest of the season, since he’s already been on a pair of 10-day deals with the team.
Chad Forcier is a player development coach for the Spurs, and his presence in San Antonio might influence whether the team pursues the likely-to-be waived Metta World Peace. Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation has the details.
Sam Amick of USA Today weighs in on the trade that sent Steve Blake to the Warriors and thinks it could end up paying dividends for Golden State.
Jan Vesely and Aaron Brooks are excited for new roles on the Nuggets, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Rockets Waive Brewer, Sign Troy Daniels

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 12:54pm: The Rockets have officially announced the signing of Daniels, per a team release. GM Daryl Morey also verified that Daniels will continue assignment in the D-League.

FRIDAY, 9:39pm: Brewer has officially been waived according to a team release. A person with knowledge of the deal says that Daniels’ contract is indeed a two year deal, according to Feigen.

8:51pm: According to Jason Friedman of Rockets.com (Twitter Link), the team has officially signed Daniels. He’ll remain with the RGV Vipers in the D-League.

3:23pm: The Rockets are waiving Ronnie Brewer to sign Troy Daniels, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’ll be a two-year deal for Daniels, though 2014/15 will be non-guaranteed, Feigen adds (on Twitter).

Daniels, who’s been playing with Houston’s three-pointer-happy affiliate in the D-League, is considered the best shooter outside the NBA, Feigen tweets, adding that it’s likely the team will send him back to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on D-League assignment after the signing. He’s averaged 23.3 points and 40.8% three-point shooting in the D-League this year after having spent camp with the Bobcats and Rockets this past autumn. Daniels went undrafted out of VCU in June.

Brewer signed a two-year minimum-salary deal with the Rockets in the offseason, but he’s seen limited playing time, scoring just seven points all year in 158 total minutes. The eighth-year veteran’s salary will remain on Houston’s books for this season, providing no one claims him off waivers, but 2014/15 was a non-guaranteed year for him.

Western Notes: Rockets, Nash, Brooks

February 21st, 2014 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets GM Daryl Morey is high on the athleticism and skill of trade acquisition Jordan Hamilton, as Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle observes. “He is really a highly-regarded prospect and hasn’t had a chance to emerge,” Morey said. “That is usually the kind of guy we do really well with, catch him before they get a chance and see them flourish with us.” Hamilton averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.4 RPG per game this season for the Nuggets and started 11 games.

Odds & Ends: Durant, Brooks, Nuggets

February 20th, 2014 at 8:11pm CST by Zachary Links

With tax season approaching, Thunder star Kevin Durant is looking to get his house in order. Durant is suing his former accountant for $600K over what he says were mistakes on his previous taxes, according to the Associated Press. More from around the Association..

Aaron Brooks could have blocked the trade sending him from the Rockets to the Nuggets but he had a change of heart late in the game, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. “I changed my mind after talking to [Denver exec] Jared Jeffries, the (Nuggets) GM and the coach,” said the guard. Brooks also says that the need for him to play in the final year of his deal motivated him to say yes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly offered a very rational take of today’s deal to acquire Jan Vesely from the Wizards. “It’s not often you get a chance to get a 30-game look at the sixth pick in the draft from a couple years ago,” said the GM, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Center Hamed Haddadi inked a deal in Iran after finishing his season in China, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Former Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor has signed in Puerto Rico, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Taylor was traded to the Pelicans earlier this year but was promptly cut loose.
The Pelicans‘ inability to get back into the first-round of the 2014 draft at the deadline was disappointing, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.