Rockets Agree To Sign Earl Boykins
The Rockets and Earl Boykins have agreed to terms on a 10-day contract, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Houston had a pair of open roster spots, and won't need to make a corresponding move to make room for Boykins.
Boykins, 35, told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype last month that he was talking to a couple teams and hoped to find a deal soon. The Rockets will be the tenth team Boykins has played for in 13 NBA seasons. Although the 5'5" guard hasn't played in the NBA yet this year, he appeared in 57 games for the Bucks in 2010/11, averaging 7.2 points and 2.5 assists in 15.1 minutes per game.
Southwest Notes: Arenas, Camby, Smith, Mills
Here's the latest out of the Southwest, the only division in the NBA that would send four teams to the playoffs if the season ended today:
- Gilbert Arenas, recently signed by the Grizzlies, spoke to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal about a number of topics in a lengthy interview. Arenas says that in addition to the Grizzlies and Lakers, the Hawks and Nets also had interest in him.
- Another new addition, Marcus Camby, brings "a different vibe" to the Rockets, coach Kevin McHale told Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Rockets assigned Greg Smith to their D-League affiliate yesterday, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
- Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News noticed the Spurs listed a "Mills" as one of their inactive players on the official scoresheet for last night's game, and wonders if the team has finalized its rumored deal with Patrick Mills.
Latest On Derek Fisher
After Derek Fisher and the Rockets reached an agreement on a buyout this weekend, Fisher's business manager Jamie Mior released a statement explaining the decision:
"After much discussion and expressing their desire to welcome Derek to their team this season as well as the 2012-2013 season, the Houston Rockets and Derek have negotiated a buyout. Derek's desire to win a sixth championship is what drives him and will continue to drive him as he moves forward. We thank the Houston Rockets front office for their interest, time and their absolute professionalism. There will be no further comment at this time."
While we wait to see if Fisher clears waivers this Wednesday, rumors about which teams are interested in signing him have already surfaced. Let's round up a few of them….
- ESPN.com's John Hollinger (via Twitter) notes that Fisher declining his $3.4MM option for next year means that the Rockets were essentially paid $200K to acquire a first-round pick.
- The Blazers aren't interested in Fisher, tweets Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- The Rockets' buyout of Fisher paid him for the rest of this season, but he opted out of all $3.4MM next year, a person with knowledge of the deal told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Thunder are deciding whether to make a formal bid for Fisher.
- The Clippers aren't interested, says Stein.
- Fisher has strong interest in joining the Bulls or Heat, according to Stein, but it's unclear to what extent that interest is reciprocated.
- Stein adds that the Spurs have some interest, since their signing of Patrick Mills is being held up — according to Stein, the Blazers have yet to renounce Mills' rights, which is odd, since the team tweeted on Saturday that it was done.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) cautions that there's no guarantee Fisher will play for another club this year. The veteran is weighing the option of re-joining the Lakers in a coaching or front office capacity, tweets Kyler. Fisher, of course, can't re-sign with the Lakers as a player this season.
Teams With Open Roster Spots
After the flurry of trades, signings, and releases around the league in the last week, it's gotten challenging to keep track which clubs still have the flexibility to make roster moves. To make things a little easier, here's our list of teams who currently have fewer than the maximum 15 players on their rosters, and could add a player without releasing anyone:
- 76ers: 14
- Bulls: 14. When Mike James' second 10-day contract expires, the Bulls will have two open roster spots. They also reportedly have some interest in Leon Powe.
- Clippers: 14. The Clips are still deciding whether to sign Bobby Simmons for the rest of the season with their final roster spot.
- Grizzlies: 13. Memphis is looking at Gilbert Arenas for one of its openings.
- Heat: 14. Miami could fill its final roster spot with a player who is bought out of his contract this week.
- Hornets: 13. 14th man Jeff Foote just had his 10-day contract expire.
- Jazz: 14
- Kings: 14
- Lakers: 14
- Pacers: 14
- Pistons: 14
- Raptors: 13
- Rockets: 14. Houston will open up a second roster spot when Derek Fisher clears waivers.
- Spurs: 13. San Antonio is expecting to add Patrick Mills with one of its open roster spots. Even if the Spurs finalize Mills' deal, they'll still have a pair of open spots after Eric Dawson's second 10-day deal expires.
- Suns: 13
- Warriors: 13
- Wizards: 14. 14th man Edwin Ubiles is on a 10-day contract.
Note: The Nets currently have 15 players on their roster, but will open up a spot when Jerry Smith's 10-day contract expires.
Odds & Ends: Fisher, Bayless, Morey, Draft
With Derek Fisher being bought out by the Rockets after being acquired from the Lakers, there is plenty of speculation of where the veteran guard will end up. No longer a difference maker, Fisher's value would likely be as a leader for a contender or as a role model for the younger players on a rebuilding team. David Alridge tweeted that Fisher is not sure what he will do and that he wants to see if his "heart is still in it."
Here are some other notes from around the league on this Sunday night:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun examines the effect that Jerryd Bayless' recent play will have on the Raptors' decision making. Wolstat speculates that Bayless could replace the aging Jose Calderon, who has been solid but is not exactly an exciting option for a lottery-bound team. Bayless is a restricted free agent after the year while Calderon is under contract for one more year.
- Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle analyzes Rockets' GM Daryl Morey's thusfar-unsuccessful quest to land an All-Star caliber player. Morey, whose shrewd decision making is lauded in many NBA circles, has upgraded Houston's roster repeatedly via trade but has yet to hit a home run.
- Moe Harkless, St. John's forward and Big East Rookie of the Year, will reportedly file for early entry to June's NBA Draft, according to ESPN via the Associated Press. It is unclear whether Harkless will hire an agent immediately or is just testing the waters, but the program has scheduled a press conference for Monday.
- Jonathan Tjarks from RealGM takes a look at the apparently skyrocketing value of late first round picks. Tjarks points to this year's trade deadline as an example of how the new CBA and a deep draft class caused teams to value picks in the 20s.
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.