Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: O’Quinn, Gibbs, McRoberts

May 26th, 2012 at 10:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous links:

HoopsWorld conducted interviews with draft prospects Kyle O'Quinn and Ashton Gibbs at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. O'Quinn says that he'd like to immediately model his game after Kenneth Faried and Serge Ibaka and eventually develop into a LaMarcus Aldridge type of player. Gibbs talked about what he's currently trying to improve and how not being invited to the NBA Draft combine will motivate him to work harder and prove himself.
Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA explains the C+ he gave Josh McRoberts for his 2011/12 report card.
Jerome Solomon of UltimateRockets elaborates on the tough task that Rockets GM Daryl Morey has for this upcoming offseason, including the need to address Kyle Lowry's unhappiness with head coach Kevin McHale and the impending free agency of Goran Dragic.
Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel reviews the draft record of Bucks GM John Hammond. Although Joe Alexander was not a successful pick, Hammond was able to come away with Brandon Jennings, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Larry Sanders to name a few.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer provides an explanation of the Bobcats' position heading into Wednesday's draft lottery. Because Charlotte finished with the league's worst record, they have the best chance at the number one pick and will not fall lower than the fourth pick.
Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News writes that Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe's development could hold the keys in eventually elevating the Pistons into contender status.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer writes that the Cavaliers must try to follow the Spurs and Thunder's blueprint of success.

Odds & Ends: Lowry, Raptors, Heat, Jennings

May 26th, 2012 at 4:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

John Havlicek's famous steal in the 1965 Eastern Division finals might be the most storied of many Game 7 moments between the Celtics and Sixers, who look to add another chapter in tonight's Game 7. Still, many Boston fans have another theft on their minds as they file into the Garden this evening, since it's the 25th anniversary of Larry Bird's game-saving steal against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. Here's the rest of what's going on around the Association today:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and Daryl Morey, his Rockets counterpart, are likely to discuss a trade for point guard Kyle Lowry. Earlier today, we passed along a report from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle about Lowry's dissatisfaction in Houston.
Feigen disagrees with Kyle Lowry's conclusion that he can't flourish under Rockets coach Kevin McHale, pointing to Lowry's early-season play as evidence.
Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier, who both signed multiyear deals when the lockout ended in December, are two of the role players who paid dividends for the Heat in this week's elimination of the Pacers, writes Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
Brandon Jennings isn't worried about whether the Bucks will offer him an extension this summer, as Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel reports. "I will let (agent) Bill Duffy handle that," Jennings said. "That's what he does. I will leave it up to Bill Duffy and (Bucks general manager) John Hammond. It's really not my department." Earlier this month Duffy said he was surprised by Hammond's comment than a Jennings extension "is not something we have to do."
Howard Beck of The New York Times looks at what James Harden brings to the Thunder as the decision of whether to extend his rookie contract looms for GM Sam Presti this summer.

Odds & Ends: Motiejunas, Bradley, Draft, Frye

May 25th, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Friday afternoon's odds and ends:

Donatas Motiejunas, Houston's 20th overall pick in 2011, spoke to Jakub Wojczynski of Przeglad Sportowy about his future and his plan to join the Rockets. While Motiejunas cautioned that it's "not 100%" he'll be in the NBA next season, he seems like a good bet to sign this summer.
Doc Rivers and the Celtics confirmed today that Avery Bradley will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the playoffs (Twitter link).
Hornets coach Monty Williams tells John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune that he doesn't think this draft class is as deep as advertised. "I don’t think you’re going to find a [Manu] Ginobili at 52," Williams said. "The last few weeks I’ve had a chance to look at all these young guys on tape and I’m not jaded by the hoopla as everybody else is. I think there are good players, but I don’t see this deep draft."
One GM told ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) that he'd have "no concerns" drafting Perry Jones III in the top five.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com discusses trade candidates Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol in his "Friday 5" feature.
Channing Frye's availability for the start of next season is in doubt as the Suns forward rehabs a shoulder injury, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Sam Smith fields plenty of Bulls questions in his latest mailbag for Bulls.com.

Odds & Ends: Haslem, Howard, Wizards, Lakers

May 24th, 2012 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Udonis Haslem will sit out Game 6 of the Heat/Pacers series tonight, serving a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul in Game 5. But Haslem and agent Henry Thomas intend to appeal the suspension nonetheless, hoping to regain the $35K the Heat forward will lose.

"We'll file an appeal to the union," Thomas told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. "This is a guy who has been in the league for nine years and he doesn't have the reputation of being a dirty player. He's a hard-nosed player. But he's not dirty, and he doesn't want this to follow him around. … He's disappointed (with the suspension). He feels he tried to make a play on the ball."

As Haslem waits for his appeal to be heard, here are a few more Thursday notes from around the NBA:

If Dwight Howard is available this summer, the Rockets are one team who might be willing to trade for him without assurances he'd re-sign, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. I wrote earlier today that acquiring a star will be the Rockets' primary goal this offseason, and even coming off back surgery, Howard would certainly qualify.
The Wizards have yet to make a decision on coach Randy Wittman, but sources suggest to Michael Lee of the Washington Post that Wittman is a good bet to return to Washington.
Appearing on Colin Cowherd's radio show, Jerry West weighed in on the state of the Lakers, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
One NBA GM told Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) that Dion Waiters might be the player besides Anthony Davis with the most superstar potential in this year's draft class.
Members of the Pistons' staff were upset that Greg Monroe wasn't named to this summer's U.S. Select Team, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explains why it will be difficult for the Mavericks to trade Lamar Odom next month.

Offseason Outlook: Houston Rockets

May 24th, 2012 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Guaranteed Contracts

Kevin Martin ($12,439,675)
Luis Scola ($9,408,207)
Kyle Lowry ($5,750,000)
Patrick Patterson ($2,096,760)
Marcus Morris ($1,905,360)
Donatas Motiejunas ($1,134,500)
Chandler Parsons ($888,250)

Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Samuel Dalembert ($6,700,000; partially guaranteed for $1,500,000)
Chase Budinger ($885,120)
Greg Smith ($762,195)
Courtney Fortson ($762,195)
Diamon Simpson ($762,195)

Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Marcus Camby ($16,840,875)
Courtney Lee ($5,562,733)
Goran Dragic ($4,005,200)
Earl Boykins ($854,389)

Draft Picks

1st Round (14th overall, pending lottery; 0.5% chance at first overall pick)
1st Round (16th overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $35,122,752
Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $35,634,902
Total (not including draft picks): $70,757,654

Ever since Yao Ming saw his career derailed by injuries and Tracy McGrady's production fell off a cliff, the Rockets have been searching for their next star player. While guys like Kyle Lowry, Kevin Martin, and Luis Scola have turned into solid contributors and show flashes of brilliance, Houston has missed the postseason for three straight years, and is still lacking the sort of star that can take them to the next level.

The Rockets thought they'd landed that player in December when they agreed to a blockbuster deal that would have sent Pau Gasol to Houston. Of course, we all know how that turned out — commissioner David Stern nixed the deal on behalf of the Hornets, and GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets headed back to the drawing board. Now, Houston heads into the 2012 offseason once again searching for that star that will make the club a legit contender.

Morey and the Rockets have a couple factors working in their favor when it comes to potential roster moves. With only about $35MM committed in guaranteed salaries, the team will have some cap space to work with, even if it decides to retain one or more of its own free agents. The only real star on the open market is Deron Williams, and the Rockets don't seem to be on his wishlist, but that cap space could be an asset to put toward other free agents or trades.

The other factor working in Houston's favor? If Morey wants to make another run at Gasol, he couldn't ask for a better time to do it. The Spaniard's star has faded a little in Los Angeles over the last few months, and it's hard to imagine the Lakers' asking price being quite as high as it was in December. A package centered around Martin and Scola likely wouldn't interest the Lakers, but perhaps a third team could get involved to facilitate a deal.

The bad news for the Rockets if they intend to pursue Gasol is that the player the Lakers really want - Lowry – also saw his stock drop a little this year, after he missed most of the second half and underwent surgery for a sports hernia at season's end. The Rockets displayed an unwillingness to trade a healthy, productive Lowry for Gasol earlier in 2012, but perhaps the emergence of Goran Dragic would make Lowry slightly more expendable, assuming Houston brings back Dragic.

While they may still be searching for that one core piece to add to the roster, the Rockets have done a nice job adding complementary players. The team has a good deal of young, affordable talent, including Patrick Patterson, Chase Budinger, and Chandler Parsons, and is poised to add even more — Houston is expected to sign last year's draft pick Donatas Motiejunas, and the team holds the 14th and 16th picks in this year's draft. The 2012 class is deep enough that the prospects available for the Rockets might not be any less productive than players selected 10 spots earlier.

If the Rockets don't draft a center or acquire one via trade, I expect the position to be the team's top priority in free agency. There are a number of intriguing names on the market this summer, and while Houston may not aggressively pursue restricted free agents like JaVale McGee, Roy Hibbert, or Brook Lopez, an unrestricted player such as Chris Kaman could make a lot of sense for the Rockets.

Still, for the Rockets, the offseason all comes down to landing does that star player. Does Gasol still qualify? And if not, will Houston's cap space, draft picks, and trade candidates be enough to acquire someone who does? That'll be the task facing Morey this summer as he looks to upgrade the Rockets' roster from one that's a borderline playoff contender to one that can hang with the top teams in the West.

Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.

Odds & Ends: Ainge, Gasol, Bird Rights, Shaw

May 21st, 2012 at 11:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a busy night both on and off the court in the NBA, as the Lakers appear to be on their way to elimination at the hands of the Thunder, while the Magic are making wholesale management changes. Here's the rest of the late-night story:

The Blazers have not asked for permission from the Celtics to speak with Danny Ainge about their GM opening, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets.
The Rockets remain interested in trading for Pau Gasol, salary cap guru Larry Coon says, via Twitter.
Coon also believes the union will not prevail in its quest to secure Bird rights for players who were claimed off waivers (Twitter link).
Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is drawing interest for head coaching positions elsewhere, but the Pacers place a high value on him, Chris Mannix of SI.com notes (Twitter link).
Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld profiles the top five vote-getters for Executive of the Year.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Wade, Heat, Howard

May 19th, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Links out of the Southeast division as the Heat get set for Game 4 in Indiana tomorrow afternoon..

Hawks General Manager Rick Sund’s contract expires next month but he has yet to commit to a return or publicly address his future, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sund may also retire, take a part-time role with the Hawks, or jump ship to another team.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether playing in the Olympics makes much sense for Dwyane Wade, who could use the rest for his 30-year-old body. Winderman notes the pressure that sponsors put on Wade and other superstars to play for their country.
If the Rockets take a stab at trading for Magic big man Dwight Howard, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that the package would be centered around Kevin Martin and Luis Scola because the salaries match up. Even if Howard doesn't sign a long-term extension with Houston, they would at least have Martin and Scola off of the books for a proper rebuild.

Rockets, Hawks Interested In Alexey Shved

May 17th, 2012 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, we heard that CSKA Moscow guard Alexey Shved is eyeing a potential jump to the NBA this coming season, with the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder among the teams with interest.

In an interview with Sports.ru (translation via Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside), Shved's agent Obrad Fimic added a couple more clubs to the list of interested parties: the Rockets and Hawks.

No official offers from NBA teams are on the table, and Shved is still under contract with CSKA Moscow, but "all signs point" to him coming to America for the 2012/13 season. However, Fimic refuted the reported asking price of three years and $10MM+ for his client.

Shved's defense could be in a concern in the NBA, according to the Ridiculous Upside report. Still, Maxey agrees with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com on the 23-year-old's offensive prowess, noting that he could excel in the NBA as a reserve in an up-tempo offense.

Odds & Ends: Rockets, Hornets, Magic

May 14th, 2012 at 11:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was a night of youth over experience, as the young Sixers evened their series with the veteran Celtics, while the up-and-coming Thunder was impressive in Game 1 against the battle-tested Lakers. There were a few stories of interest from off the court as well, so let's take a look:

The NBA has suspended Rockets scout David Patrick for a year after determining he had impermissable contact with players during the lockout, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweeted. The team will not be punished because the league ruled that Patrick's communication was personal and not part of team business, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
The Louisiana Senate has passed a bill that includes $36.5MM in tax breaks for the Hornets, Ed Anderson of The Times-Picayune reports. Gov. Bobby Jindal is expected to give final approval to the measure that includes the breaks, which were part of the deal between the team and the state that keeps the Hornets in New Orleans through at least 2024.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at the Magic's offseason plans, and says executives from other teams "openly joke" about the Magic's failure to hold workouts or conduct interviews with recent first-round picks.

Odds & Ends: Blazers, Hibbert, Bulls, Farmar

May 10th, 2012 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight we saw the 76ers and Celtics advance to the second round in a pair of closely-contested Game 6s. Here are some links from around the Association as we wait to see if the Lakers can put the Nuggets away in Denver..

The Blazers hope to bring former first-round picks Joel Freeland and Victor Claver on to the roster for next season, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
The Rockets could have interest in Pacers big man Roy Hibbert as he enters restricted free agency, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. However, it seems that Indiana is prepared to match any offer that isn't unreasonable.
When asked if the Bulls should keep their core in tact this summer, Joakim Noah responded, "I'm not the GM," tweets Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
Nets guard Jordan Farmar wants to be a starter and wasn't terribly happy with his role last season, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, it's unlikely that Farmar will decline his $4.25MM player option.
Most agree that the Pistons' main need in the draft is another big man to pair alongside center Greg Monroe, but team president Joe Dumars says that isn't neccessarily the case, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis writes that it wouldn't be a shock to see Detroit tab a shooter like North Carolina's Harrison Barnes if they don't like any of the big men on the board.
One Western Conference exec told Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter) that there is no way that Columbus will land an NBA franchise. Earlier today, we learned that the mayor of Columbus has informed David Stern that his city is interested in adding an NBA team.