Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Spurs, Lin, Rockets, Holloway

October 9th, 2012 at 3:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

We rounded up news from the Mavericks earlier today as they continue their European tour, but there's still more from the Lone Star state, where the Spurs, with an 18-to-1 shot, are the most likely of the three Texas teams to win the championship, according to odds released today by the Bovada sports book.

The Spurs have announced Sean Marks as their new director of basketball operations and GM of the Austin Toros, their D-League affiliate.
The Rockets' commitment of more than $25MM to Jeremy Lin, a player with a tiny sample size of success whom the Knicks passed on keeping, says much about the team's inability to break out of a cycle of mediocrity, Fran Blinebury of Rockets.com writes.
With 11 players eligible to be sent down to the D-League at some point this season, Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside examines how the Rio Grande Valley Vipers will play a key role in player development this season for the Rockets, their parent club. Pilato notes Scott Machado and Kyle Fogg have given their blessing to D-League assignments this season if the Rockets want to send them down.
Fellow Ridiculous Upside scribe Keith Schlosser wonders what's next for former Xavier guard Tu Holloway, a training camp invitee whom the Mavs curiously let go before camp even began.

Odds & Ends: Martin, Celtics, Leuer, Lakers

October 9th, 2012 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

In a piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe looks at the different tiers in the Association after a wild offseason. In Lowe's opinion, the real title contenders this year are the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, and Lakers. Further down the list, you'll find the Nets and the Knicks who are classified as having exciting upside but too many questions to be considered real title threats. The Nets, he argues, may not get much bench production outside of C.J. Watson and MarShon Brooks. Meanwhile, most of the Knicks' big name offseason additions strike Lowe as league-average types who won't really make a major difference. Here's more from around the league..

In the wake of Jordan Hill's back injury, Sam Amico of FOX Sports (via Twitter) expects the Lakers to sign a veteran big man to a minimum contract, possibly Kenyon Martin. Martin plied his craft at the Staples Center last season with the Clippers and played well despite not lighting up the stat sheet.
While giving credit to the Celtics' 2008 championship team, point guard Rajon Rondo opined that this year's club is the strongest yet, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. This year's Celtics squad underwent a number of changes, including guard Jason Terry taking the place of Ray Allen.
After being claimed off of waivers by the Rockets this summer, Jon Leuer is making a strong impression with the Cavs in camp this summer, writes Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld. Coach Byron Scott believes that the team needs to help Leuer build confidence after bouncing around between a few clubs at the age of 23.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes that Kobe Bryant will have to play beyond 2013/14 if he hopes to capture two more championship rings. Bryant reiterated yesterday that he plans to retire after his current contract expires in two seasons.

Royce White Rejoins Rockets

October 8th, 2012 at 5:24pm CST by Michael Pina

After a missing out on his team's opening days of preseason while dealing with personal anxiety issues, Rockets rookie forward Royce White has rejoined the team for his first training camp, reports the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. The reason for White's absence was an ongoing negotiation with the team about how he could travel by bus to most of Houston's road games, as opposed to flying with the rest of his teammates.

White will travel with the Rockets to their first preseason game against the Thunder on Wednesday. He was selected with the 16th pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

Southwest Rumors: Mayo, Nowitzki, Leonard

October 8th, 2012 at 12:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Southwest Division teams haven't been shy about making cuts the past few days. The Spurs let go of Sherron Collins on Friday, and Sunday the Grizzlies waived D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous. The Hornets will reportedly shorten their preseason bench as well, as they're set to waive Dominique Morrison. While the competition for space on the fringes of the roster gets more intense, more established players can plan far beyond October.

O.J. Mayo deemed his time with the Grizzlies "a little bit of a failure," according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Sulia link). "I felt like I could have done better (in Memphis)," Mayo said. "Starting and then moving to bench would be tough on everybody. I had started all my life, so that was something I had to adjust to. It's a new opportunity in Dallas, so I have to play hard and hold my ground."

Earlier updates:

Dirk Nowitzki, in Spain on the Mavs' European tour, said he was recruited by Spanish club FC Barcelona before he came over to play in the NBA, and didn't completely rule out playing in Europe after he completes the final two years of his contract with Dallas. He told reporters, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he might favor the the shorter European schedule if his body no longer feels up to an 82-game season, but cautioned, "All that is a possibility, but as of now, I don’t actually see a chance.’’
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has spoken about his desire for Kawhi Leonard to spend his entire career with the team , and though the second-year player is a long way off from free agency, Leonard says he's open to remaining with the Spurs long-term, and cites Tim Duncan as his example to follow, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale, on KBME radio Houston with Matt Thomas, said all five starting spots are up for grabs (transcription via Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews).

Southwest Rumors: Powell, De Colo, Machado

October 7th, 2012 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks were the first Southwest Division team to begin preseason play, doing so overseas yesterday with an 89-84 win over Alba Berlin in Dirk Nowitzki's native Germany. Before the game, commissioner David Stern said the league's revamped competition committee was cool to his idea of adopting the FIBA more liberal goaltending rules, noted Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. Stern has pushed for changes to the way basket interference is called, so it's interesting to note that the commissioner apparently didn't get his way despite a new competition committee that some believe was restructured to give Stern more influence. Here's the latest from around the Southwest Division:

It's still a long way until the Spurs have to make a decision, but Josh Powell appears to have an early lead on Eddy Curry and Derrick Brown for a spot on the regular season roster, according to Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News. The competition was thinned a bit Friday when the Spurs waived Sherron Collins, taking their camp roster down to 19 players.
In the same piece, McCarney cautions readers not to get too caught up in what they saw from rookie Nando De Colo in the Spurs' victory Saturday over Italian club Montepaschi Siena, a slick passing performance that prompted teammate Stephen Jackson to call him "another Manu Ginobili."
Jason Friedman of Rockets.com shares some observations from Rockets camp, and says rookie guard Scott Machado, with the team on a minimum-salary deal that's partially guaranteed for $237K, is making a strong impression.
Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune chronicles the unlikely journey of Anthony Davis from a 5'9" eighth-grader in Chicago to the 6'10" Olympic gold medalist and No. 1 overall pick he is today, as he embarks on his first training camp with the Hornets.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Lin, White, Mavs

October 6th, 2012 at 9:31pm CST by Zachary Links

News and notes out of the Southwest..

One person close to the Sixers believes that Rockets GM Daryl Morey must have been blinded by statistics to have given Jeremy Lin a $25MM deal, writes Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News. The Sixers are going to be using more statistical analysis under new owner Josh Harris, but the Philly insider says that the club isn't going to "be like the Rockets."
All of Royce White's teammates offered him support in the wake of his request to travel via bus to a portion of the team's road games this year, writes Chris Duncan of the Associated Press. The Rockets rookie has been struggling with an anxiety disorder as well as a fear of flying. He was absent from the start of Rockets camp as he worked to come to an agreement with the club, but the two sides quickly worked things out.
The newly formed Mavs frontcourt of Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman could be among the best in the league this year if both stay healthy, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. Also helping their cause is the addition of Elton Brand, who plans to play the role of enforcer for Dallas this year.

Kevin Martin Hints At Having Made Trade Request

October 6th, 2012 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kevin Martin enters the final season of his five-year, $53MM contract as a trade candidate, and after a year that began with his name a part of the failed Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers deal and a continued presence in trade talks, he admitted he's surprised to still be with the Rockets. The high-scoring guard was coy when asked in training camp this year whether he requested a trade after last season, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

"You always go through mixed emotions," Martin said in response to the question. "The organization goes through mixed emotions. Things like that we’ll keep behind closed doors. I’m happy now. We’re good."

Martin is coming off a disappointing season in which he missed time with a strained right shoulder and saw his role in the offense decrease. He scored 17.1 points per game, breaking a string of six consecutive seasons of 20.0 PPG or better. Still, the 29-year-old retains high value as a trade chip, in large measure because his $12.44MM salary this season gives his team a chance to clear significant cap room next summer.

Feigen notes that coach Kevin McHale's praise of Martin in this year's camp seems out of place after a season in which there was apparent friction between player and coach. A pair of reports at different points during the 2011/12 campaign indicated Martin's displeasure in Houston, and while Martin is embracing the Rockets' rebuilding effort this year, he says it's "not ideal," as Feigen writes.

While the Rockets seem as anxious as any team to clear cap space, which keeping Martin around this year would allow them to do next summer, I think they'd be willing to listen to offers, especially if Martin and McHale's relationship turns sour again. They'd surely love to get a marquee player in return, as they tried to do last year in trading Martin for Pau Gasol, but they'd probably be willing to settle for draft picks and prospects if it came to that.

Odds & Ends: Lin, White, Heat, Teague

October 6th, 2012 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Knicks coach Mike Woodson isn't looking to discuss Jeremy Lin as training camp underway, but Tyson Chandler was willing to give his thoughts on the former toast of the town, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Jeremy was a young point guard who was inexperienced, who brought a great light to the organization. But as far as being able to run the offense and putting players in the right position he just wasn’t there. We got some veteran point guards that are capable of doing that," said Chandler. All things considered, the big man believes that this year's trio of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and Pablo Prigioni is a big step up over last season’s trio of Lin, Baron Davis, and Mike Bibby. Here's more from around the league..

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) is happy to see that Royce White and the Rockets worked out an arrangement for the forward to travel to some road games via bus but wonders what took the team so long. Kennedy notes that White made his fear of flying well known to clubs during the draft process.
Heat training camp invite Jack McClinton is currently deciding between playing in the D-League this year and taking a more lucrative offer in China, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The former University of Miami standout was leaning towards the latter until coach Erik Spoelstra told him that he was good enough to make an NBA team. Staying stateside would give McClinton an easier path to the league as a mid-season pickup.
Bulls rookie Marquis Teague is working hard to help contribute as much as possible in the absence of Derrick Rose, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.

Royce White Absent From Rockets Camp

October 5th, 2012 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 10:33am: White said he has the team’s blessing to travel to a large part of the season’s schedule via bus and will join the Rockets for practice on Monday in Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The situation is obviously unique and the two sides may have to wait out a long process to get the arrangement approved by the league and the NBPA.

“We’ll go forward in a good faith deal between me and Rockets, and I’m totally comfortable with that,” said White. “We can find a way to get it into writing at some point. We do have a letter between us. It’s an agreement, not in contract form, but those are technicalities."

By traveling immediately after practices and games, White says that he will be able to maintain his normal sleeping schedule while still arriving in the next city on time for pre-game preparations.

THURSDAY, 11:06am: In an interview with Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com, White said that he hopes to work out an agreement with the Rockets which will allow him to travel to some road games via bus. The forward added that he is willing to purchase the bus and assume liability.

WEDNESDAY, 10:43pm: White won't be back at Rockets camp until the team gives him "something in writing" about its plans to deal with his anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to a statement from his publicist, Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com reports.

8:33pm: Mark Berman of Fox 26 explains in a full story that White will not be back by Thursday, but is still close to doing so.

8:30pm: Berman deleted his original tweet, replacing it with another that removes the reference to White not reporting to camp tomorrow, so it appears he might be back by then.

8:21pm: White met with team officials today, and it went well, Berman hears (Twitter link). He won't report to camp tomorrow, but he appears close to rejoining the Rockets, according to Berman.

TUESDAY, 9:47pm: White has told Mark Berman of Fox 26 (via Twitter) that his absence is related to his anxiety troubles.

9:36pm: The Rockets released a one-line release from Morey stating, “We are committed to Royce's long term success and we will continue to support him now and going forward.”

5:41pm: The Rockets training camp is underway with two-a-day practices in session, but rookie Royce White has yet to report for unknown reasons. Houston brass has declined to comment on the matter but the club appears to be unhappy with the situation, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

General Manager Daryl Morey and coach Kevin McHale did not give a timetable for White's return or an indication of what has caused the no-show. However, the 16th overall pick has been open about his anxiety troubles in the past and recently spoke about his fear of flying, which he said he was working on with doctors.

White, 21, was an All-American for Iowa State last season but chose to hire an agent and enter the NBA Draft in advance of what would have been his junior season. The power forward was initially set to play for Tubby Smith at Minnesota but was suspended for the entirety of his first season for an off-the-court indiscretion. White was set to sign with Kentucky after that, but could not bring himself to board the plane for his scheduled trip, according to Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Hornets, Mavericks

October 4th, 2012 at 10:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here's a roundup of tonight's links from the Southwest division…

Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets gives an injury update from Houston, writing that the team is without Donatas Motiejunas (due to an infection) and Shaun Livingston (groin muscle injury). In another piece, Feigen pointed out how Carlos Delfino's veteran experience will significantly help the team's young core of players. Lastly, Jason Friedman of Rockets.com relayed his observations from the team's third day of camp, specifically highlighting Delfino, Kevin Martin, and Jeremy Lin.
Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com sheds light on New Orleans forward Hakim Warrick, who hopes to replicate the same success he had as a key reserve with the Grizzlies after recent subpar seasons in Phoenix. Separately, Eichenhofer writes about how Roger Mason will be relied on for his leadership and three-point shooting ability. John Reid of the Times-Picayune discusses his take on what will be expected from both Warrick and Mason this year.
Earl K. Sneed of NBA.com provided a brief rundown of the sixth official day at Mavericks camp as the team prepares for its first pre-season game in Berlin. Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDay DFW thinks that while the team will be fun to watch this year, they won't be in the discussion for title contention.
Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Edge notes his observations from the Grizzlies practice session today after an emotional Wednesday in which the team learned that VP of Basketball Operations Dana Davis had passed away.