Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Contract Details: Landry, Wolves, Turiaf

July 20th, 2013 at 1:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

We've kept up with precise data on many of the new player contracts handed out around the league with four posts already this week. There's still more info trickling in, and here's the latest:

Carl Landry will receive $6.5MM in each of the four seasons of his contract with the Kings, making the total value $26MM, HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus tweets.
The Timberwolves used part of their $2.016MM bi-annual exception to sign Ronny Turiaf, who'll make $1.5MM in both seasons of his two-year deal, according to Pincus (Twitter link). Minnesota can use the remaining amount of the bi-annual at any time this season, but the team won't be allowed to carry it into 2014/15, when the Wolves won't have any portion of the bi-annual available.
Pincus updated the HoopsWorld contract data for the Kings, Magic, Bucks, Timberwolves, Rockets, Warriors, Pistons, Cavaliers and Hawks.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports updated salary information for the Lakers and Hawks.

Texas Notes: Mavs, Dalembert, Rockets, Camby

July 20th, 2013 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest from the Lone Star State..

Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News isn’t impressed by the Mavericks‘ aging starting five of Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and new additions Samuel Dalembert, Jose Calderon, and Monta Ellis. Four of the five are older than 32 and Ellis has seen his field goal percentage drop from inside the arc and from long range.
Mavericks rookie Ricky Ledo is ready to prove himself in Dallas, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Bryan Gutierrez. The Mavs traded for the No. 43 pick to land Ledo, who techically came out of Providence but never suited up for a game due to academic issues. “Ledo is a very good prospect at the guard position. He’s a very young kid and this is the beginning of a process for him,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We know he has NBA ability and we like him as a person. We’re going to work hard with him.“
The Rockets are a leading candidate for center Marcus Camby, but they’ll need a better backup center option if they trade Omer Asik, opines Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. Camby is 39-years-old and even though he can rebound and defend a bit, they’ll need something more reliable given his age.

Odds & Ends: World Peace, Jennings, Barbosa

July 20th, 2013 at 12:19am CST by Chuck Myron

Metta World Peace tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that he has no hard feelings toward the Lakers, who amnestied him last week. The former Ron Artest thinks the move was a shrewd business decision for the team, and while the Lakers will save some luxury tax money, the amnesty wound up helping World Peace's bank account, too. He'll receive his $7.7MM salary from the Lakers as well as the nearly $1.6MM he'll make from his contract with the Knicks this season, minus a small amount taken away from his Lakers paycheck because of set-off rights. There are plenty of other maneuvers, financial and otherwise, happening in the NBA, as we round up here:

Brandon Jennings is no lock to return to the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, who says the team is still looking at other point guards.
The Mavs won't comment on a Brazilian report that the team has been in contact with free agent Leandro Barbosa, notes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
The Rockets have drawn mention as one of the front-runners for Marcus Camby this week, and agent Rick Kaplan confirms to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that the team is a leading candidate, referring to Houston as Camby's "adopted hometown" (All Twitter links).
Patrick O'Bryant, the ninth overall pick in the 2006 draft, is hoping to return to the NBA, but he's only drawn interest from foreign clubs so far the summer, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. O'Bryant last appeared in the Association with the Raptors in 2008/09.
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will likely lose upwards of $50MM this year as he presides over an NBA-record expenditure on the team's roster, writes Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.com (hat tip to Nets Daily).
Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth previews next year's star-laden free agent class, arguing that no team has greater stakes on the outcome of the summer of 2014 than the Lakers do.
Mark Madsen earned a quick promotion after the Lakers hired him in May to coach their D-League team. The Lakers today officially named Madsen and Larry Lewis as assistants on coach Mike D'Antoni's staff.

Rockets Sign Aaron Brooks

July 19th, 2013 at 11:02am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 11:02am: The Rockets have made Brooks' signing official, announcing the new deal today in a press release.

THURSDAY, 11:28pm: Brooks tells Berman he had other offers, but he felt most comfortable taking the one from the Rockets (Twitter link). It appears from Brooks' comment that he signed for the minimum, but that's not entirely clear.

11:02pm: It appears Aaron Brooks is re-signing with the Rockets, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets that the point guard is returning to the team after inking a one-year deal. Houston waived Brooks on June 30th in a move to clear cap space. The five-year veteran's previous contract for 2013/14 would have become fully guaranteed if he wasn't waived by the end of last month.

Brooks was set to make $2.508MM this season before the Rockets cut him loose, but he seems unlikely to make that much this year in his new deal. Houston attempted to trade him before waiving him, but no team appeared willing to take on his old contract. The Rockets waived Carlos Delfino at the same time they waived Brooks, but Delfino has already moved on, having signed with the Bucks.

The Rockets have the $2.652MM room exception available, but I won't be surprised if the Creative Artists Agency client's new deal is for the minimum. He saw just 38 minutes of action in the regular season with Houston after signing March 5th, following his buyout from the Kings. Brooks got more run in the playoffs, averaging 11.2 minutes per contest in Houston's six-game defeat to the Thunder in the first round, but he wasn't nearly the integral part of the team that he was in 2009/10. That's when he struck for 19.6 points and 5.3 assists per game, both career highs by wide margins.

Rockets Sign Reggie Williams

July 19th, 2013 at 11:01am CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 19TH, 11:01am: The Rockets have officially signed Williams, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 10TH, 8:34pm: The second year of Williams' deal isn't a team option, but is instead non-guaranteed, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The first year is only 50% guaranteed, Feigen adds (Twitter link).

6:20pm: The Rockets have landed another outside shooter, agreeing to terms with Reggie Williams on a two-year pact worth the minimum salary, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The second year will be a team option, Stein says.

Williams, a four-year veteran, has seen his numbers decline each season after a rookie year in which he notched 15.2 points per game in a 24-game stint with the Warriors. He put up only 3.7 PPG this past season with the Bobcats, and shot just 30.6% from behind the arc, well off his mark of 42.3% from three-point range in 2010/11. He's still a 37.1% shooter for his career, and the Rockets will hope that he regains his touch to give defenses another long-range threat to worry about.

The Interperformances agency client will take a significant paycut from the $2,612,500 he earned in 2012/13. The four-year veteran's minimum will be $947,907 this coming season. Houston will likely use the minimum-salary exception, so his signing won't affect the team's pursuit of other free agents.

Thunder In Lead To Sign Mike Miller

July 18th, 2013 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

8:31pm: Thunder GM Sam Presti is set to meet with Miller in Miami this week, The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry reports. Mayberry believes the team may waive DeAndre Liggins or Daniel Orton to accomodate a minimum-salary deal for Miller beneath the tax threshold.

5:16pm: The Thunder have interest in Miller, too, Berger tweets. Berger says the Thunder can only afford to sign him for the minimum, but I believe they have the bi-annual and mid-level exceptions available. Still, using them would likely push the team into tax territory, so the Thunder might not want to go any higher than the minimum salary.

5:00pm: Miller is telling friends he'll likely sign with the Thunder, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

4:55pm: Now that Mike Miller has cleared amnesty waivers, he's free to sign with any team besides the Heat, and the Thunder have emerged as a frontrunner for his services, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). David Aldridge of TNT reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies are also a "strong suitor" for the veteran forward.

In addition to the Thunder and Grizzlies, the Rockets, Spurs, and Warriors have been identified as potential destinations for Miller. Since he's in position to earn $12.8MM over the next two years from the Heat, money may not be Miller's number one concern. Still, with so many teams potentially in play, it may take an offer worth more than the minimum – or for more than one season – to lock up the 33-year-old.

Any team that makes Miller an offer will likely have to take a close look at his medical reports, since the sharpshooter is reportedly considering undergoing a procedure on his back to repair bulging disks.

Raptors Buy Out Marcus Camby

July 18th, 2013 at 6:06pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 6:06pm: The Raptors and Camby have completed the buyout, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Begley says Camby is a free agent now, but the veteran center will have to clear waivers first. Camby is hoping to play two more years before getting into coaching, as Zwerling reported today.

WEDNESDAY, 11:05pm: Camby and the Raptors are still working on the details of the buyout, which has not yet been finalized, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Still, an agreement remains in place and the parting of ways should be official by the end of the week, Zwerling writes. The Heat, Rockets, Bulls and Clippers are the front-runners to sign Camby once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, Zwerling hears.

2:05pm: The Raptors have agreed to a buyout with Marcus Camby and have released him, the team formally announced today (Twitter link). Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported last night that Toronto was expected to reach a buyout agreement with Camby.

Camby, 39, was sent back to Toronto, where he started his NBA career, in the trade that saw the Knicks acquire Andrea Bargnani. Not long after the move was agreed upon, the veteran big man expressed some unhappiness with being traded to a non-contender, and Marc Berman of the New York Post reported shortly thereafter that Camby had asked to be traded or bought out.

Camby was set to earn $4.38MM in 2013/14 and was on the books for a $4.18MM salary the following season, though only about $1.03MM of that second year was guaranteed. I would guess that Camby probably agreed to give up that second-year guarantee in his negotiations with the Raptors, though the terms of the buyout aren't known. The move also reduces the cap hit for Toronto, since the club can apply the stretch provision to Camby's deal.

Assuming Camby clears waivers, which seems like a safe bet, he'll be free to sign with any team except the Knicks, who are ineligible to re-add him until next July. However, according to Spears, other contenders like the Clippers, Bulls, and Rockets could have some interest.

Mike Miller, Linas Kleiza Clear Waivers

July 18th, 2013 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Miller has gone unclaimed on amnesty waivers and will now become an unrestricted free agent, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The same is true for Linas Kleiza, who also cleared waivers, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Miller and Kleiza were amnestied on Tuesday by the Heat and Raptors, respectively.

It's no surprise that Kleiza didn't draw any interest on amnesty waivers, given his health problems and poor production last season. As Stein notes, he's a good bet to return overseas for the coming season. On the other hand, the Cavaliers were reportedly considering a bid on Miller, but it appears the team decided against it.

Shortly after we heard that the Cavs were mulling a bid for Miller, another report indicated that the veteran sharpshooter is considering surgery to repair bulging disks in his back. Miller has hardly been a picture of good health over the last several seasons, so that's likely true, but it could also have been leaked to scare off non-contenders like the Cavs from making a claim. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal notes (via Twitter) that Miller "made it clear to people around him" that he wasn't interested in landing in Cleveland.

Even with potential surgery looming, Miller figures to draw interest from contending teams. Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com both list the Spurs, Thunder, and Rockets as potential suitors, while Woj also mentions the Warriors and Windhorst names the Grizzlies (Twitter links).

Camby Hopes To Play Two More Years, Then Coach

July 18th, 2013 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Having agreed to a buyout with the Raptors, Marcus Camby appears to be ticketed for unrestricted free agency by this weekend, but the 39-year-old doesn't intend to end his playing career anytime soon. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Camby still hopes to play until 2015, when his previous contract would have ended, and then aims to get into coaching after that.

"He wants to play two more years and then move into coaching," a source told Zwerling. "He would likely start out as an assistant, as many [former players] do, but someday he'd be a great head coach. He has a very high basketball IQ."

Reports are divided on whether or not Camby is officially on waivers yet. Zwerling hears that details of Camby's buyout are still being finalized, even though the team announced yesterday that an agreement had been reached and the big man had been released. Either way, Camby should be on the open market soon, free to sign with any team except the Knicks. The former second overall pick hopes to join a contender, with the Clippers, Heat, Bulls, and Rockets believed to be in play.

"His decision will be fairly quick," the source said. "He's not ruling out the minimum, but if a team shows a bigger commitment, that could make a difference."

Odds & Ends: Oden, Henderson, Rockets, Raptors

July 17th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Wednesday odds and ends from around the Association:

Although we'd previously heard that the Pelicans hoped to meet with Greg Oden this week, it now appears they'll do so next week, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link) is hearing that Gerald Henderson is seeking something in the neighborhood of O.J. Mayo money ($8MM annually).
The Rockets have some interest in the recently-released Mike Miller and Marcus Camby, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Having amnestied Linas Kleiza and bought out Camby, the Raptors will likely use the rest of their mid-level exception ($2.15MM) to bring in another player, but will probably save their bi-annual exception for next year, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter).
Pistons GM Joe Dumars recently denied a pair of trade rumors involving his club, but says the door will "continually stay open" on talks that could help improve the roster (link via Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News).
Grantland's Zach Lowe spoke to new Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek about taking over a lottery team, playing two point guards at the same time, and how Michael Beasley can save his career.