Rockets Buy Out Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher has officially reached a buyout agreement with the Rockets, and is expected to hit free agency once he clears waivers, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. In one of the more surprising deals that went down before the deadline, the 37-year-old point guard was dealt to Houston for Jordan Hill and a top-20 protected first round draft pick after the Lakers acquired Ramon Sessions in a separate move.
The Rockets appeared to be in need of another point guard while Kyle Lowry recuperates from a bacterial infection, but they instead chose to sign Courtney Fortson from the D-league.
At this stage in his career, Fisher is seen as one of the weaker guards in the league, but due to this experience in big games (five championships with the Lakers since 2000) he could sign on with a contender upon becoming a free agent. He'll be available to sign with any team except the Lakers due to a new rule in the CBA.
Kennedy On Williams, Buyouts, Nets, Magic
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld chatted with readers this afternoon, and passed along a few intriguing nuggets. Here are the highlights:
- He rounded up the buyout candidates, listing Chris Kaman, Derek Fisher, Jermaine O’Neal, Shawne Williams, Boris Diaw, Marquis Daniels, Brian Cook and Ronny Turiaf.
- Kennedy says he's been told free agent-to-be Deron Williams wants to play in Dallas, he and predicts the point guard winds up with the Mavs.
- Since Dwight Howard's option only covers one more season, Kennedy wouldn't rule out the Nets pursuing D12 again next year.
- The Magic won't go after Derek Fisher if he's bought out by the Rockets, but they may try to work a sign and trade with restricted free agent Ryan Anderson this summer as they try to get creative to bring in the talent necessary to appease Howard.
Southwest Rumors: Fisher, Mills, Jackson
Four of the five Southwest Division teams are in action tonight, including the Mavs and first-place Spurs, who meet in Dallas. Here's a quick check around the division:
- Though reports suggest Houston will buy out Derek Fisher, coach Kevin McHale's comments, as noted by Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, seem to suggest he'd like to see the point guard in uniform for the team tonight. Fisher has yet to report to the Rockets.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Spurs would go after Fisher if his rumored buyout takes place, given the team's need at point guard in the wake of T.J. Ford's sudden retirement this week.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports via Twitter that the Rockets are pursuing former Blazers guard Patrick Mills, who has received FIBA clearance to play in the U.S. after signing with a Chinese team earlier this year. That's further suggestion that the Rockets will let Fisher go, as they also signed guard Courtney Fortson today.
- Jason Terry believes San Antonio's trade of Richard Jefferson for Stephen Jackson was a "no brainer," reports Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth. Jackson, scheduled to make his debut tonight according to a tweet from Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com, gives them scoring and toughness, Terry says.
Rockets Sign Courtney Fortson
2:07pm: RealGM confirms that Fortson has signed. The 5'11", 185-pound former Arkansas Razorback averaged 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in a brief four-game stint with the Clippers earlier this year. As fate would have it, the Rockets and Clippers play this afternoon.
11:34am: The Rockets will sign free agent guard Courtney Fortson today, according to Mark Berman of MyFOXHouston.com. The former D-League standout played in four games for the Clippers this season before being waived in late January.
Signing Fortson fills one of two vacant roster spots for Houston and adds a guard to the fold in advance of their expected buyout of Derek Fisher. Fortson, 23, averaged 17 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 29 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders this year.
Odds & Ends: Blazers, Fisher, Kaman, Rockets
If you've gotten a little too caught up in March Madness, don't worry. We'll get you caught up with a look at what's happening around the Association ..
- After dealing Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace at the deadline, Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld.com wonders what's next for the Blazers.
- The Wizards would be willing to accommodate Brian Cook if he wishes to play elsewhere, a league source told Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Cook’s agent Mark Bartelstein said on Saturday the two sides will likely engage in buyout discussions this week.
- Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is sad to see longtime teammate Derek Fisher leave, writes Dave Menamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Rockets will likely buy out Fisher's contract, but the new Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits the veteran from rejoining the Lakers.
- Hornets General Manager Dell Demps now says that the club is open to offering center Chris Kaman an extension at the end of the season, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Kaman's name was involved in trade talks but ultimately wound up staying put. It's still possible that the Hornets could buy out the big man, allowing him to latch on with a contender.
- General Manager Joe Dumars said that the Pistons stood pat at the trade deadline because there were no quality offers on the table, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Plenty of deals were put in front of Dumars but none of them were enticing enough for him to pull the trigger.
- The Rockets' moves at the trade deadline were solid but the club didn't make the kind of blockbuster that some were expecting, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Commissioner David Stern & the NBA did a tremendous job facilitating the new lease agreement between the Hornets and the state of Louisiana, writes John DeShazier of the Times Picayune. The new deal will keep the Hornets in New Orleans through 2024.
Odds & Ends: Buyouts, Thunder, Williams, Camby
A few teams got a first look at their new acquisitions tonight, while others still await players to arrive and take physicals in their new cities. It's a league that's still in flux less than 36 hours after the trade deadline. Let's take a look at what's going on as everyone gets settled:
- Marquis Daniels of the Celtics and Brian Cook of the Wizards are buyout candidates, says agent Mark Bartelstein via Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. (Twitter link)
- The Thunder have assigned forward Ryan Reid to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, via Twitter. Oklahoma City signed the undrafted 25-year-old forward to a partially guaranteed two-year contract before the season, but he's only appeared in five games so far, scoring a total of eight points in 17 minutes. The 6'8", 232-pound Reid played 48 games with Tulsa last year, averaging 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while posting a 14.7 PER.
- According to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld, Nets GM Billy King is confident his team can re-sign Deron Williams this summer, even though the point guard said today he will not opt in to the final season of his deal, a la Dwight Howard.
- Marcus Camby, who sees himself playing four more years, wants to finish his career with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Tommy Dee of Sheridan Hoops takes a look at the NBA prospects of Cincinnati's Yancy Gates.
- ESPN's Chad Ford believes NCAA tournament hero C.J. McCollum of Lehigh is a "serious draft sleeper" (Twitter link). Ford reported a few weeks ago that scouts had McCollum pegged as a late first-round or early second-round selection (Insider only).
- J.A. Adande of ESPN looks at what we've learned from the trade deadline. The most significant takeaway is that it pays to have a Plan B, Adande says.
Odds & Ends: Nene, Celtics, Camby, Kaman, Rubio
A few odds and ends from around the league for Friday afternoon:
- Explaining yesterday's acquisition of Nene, Wizards president Ernie Grunfield cited the cost certainty of Nene's deal, noting that free agency is a "crap shoot." Michael Lee of the Washington Post has the details.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters, including Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com, that Chris Johnson, who was waived by the Blazers yesterday, is "an absolute option" for the Celtics.
- Shawne Williams' agent hasn't been approached by the Blazers yet about a buyout for his client, though that could change soon, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- After Brendan Haywood sprained his knee in last night's game, the Mavericks will recall Sean Williams from their D-League affiliate, according to a team press release. The Mavs had assigned Williams to Austin earlier this week.
- Marcus Camby may be 38 years old and in the final year of his contract, but he's not ready for retirement yet. The Rockets big man tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he wants to play for four more years (Twitter link).
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel doesn't think David Stern would block the Hornets from buying out Chris Kaman.
- Ricky Rubio will undergo reconstructive surgery on his left knee next Wednesday, the team announced today.
Spurs Close To Signing Patrick Mills
The Spurs are finalizing a contract with former Blazers guard Patrick Mills, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated tweets that it will be a two-year deal.
Amick adds via Twitter that the deal will include a player option in the second year, worth about $1MM. The Blazers renounced Mills' rights this morning, the team confirmed via Twitter.
According to a tweet from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, the Pistons also wanted to sign Mills. The Rockets were interested in the guard, too, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier today. The Spurs were also reportedly interested in Derek Fisher, whom the Rockets are rumored to be buying out. San Antonio was searching for a point guard after the abrupt retirement of T.J. Ford this week, who was subsequently shipped to Golden State for financial reasons in the Stephen Jackson-Richard Jefferson deal. The Warriors have waived Ford, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Mills, a 2009 second-round pick out of St. Mary's College, averaged 5.1 points and 1.5 assists in two seasons as a backup in Portland. He signed with a Chinese team earlier this season, but has received FIBA clearance to join an NBA team.
Rockets Intend To Buy Out Derek Fisher
The Rockets will buy out the remainder of Derek Fisher's contract, according to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com (via Twitter). Speculation that Houston would buy out Fisher began almost immediately after the Rockets acquired him yesterday, with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweeting earlier today to "expect [a] buyout."
Fisher's cap figure is $3.4MM this season, with a player option worth the same amount for 2012/13. The Rockets have been attempting to clear cap space for this summer, so if the Rockets and Fisher agree on a buyout, we'll see how much of next year's figure Houston can clear from its books.
If a buyout is finalized before next Friday, Fisher will be free to sign with any team in the NBA besides the Lakers. Since L.A. traded him, the veteran point guard is prohibited from rejoining the Lakers this season, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Rockets Waive Terrence Williams
The Rockets have waived Terrence Williams, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Williams, 24, had only appeared in three games since the start of February, and played just 23 total games for the Rockets after being acquired at last year's trade deadline. The former 11th overall pick averaged 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game this season.
The former Louisville Cardinal was the only one of Houston's four 2009 draft-lottery players that wasn't shipped out in a trade yesterday — Jordan Hill was sent to the Lakers, while Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet headed to Portland.