Rockets Notes: Green, Thompson, Eason, Smith, Offseason
The Rockets‘ season ended on Sunday night when they lost a deciding Game 7 at home against the battle-tested Warriors. As Jonathan M. Alexander of The Houston Chronicle writes, aside from a 38-point outburst in Game 2, shooting guard Jalen Green struggled mightily in his first playoff series, scoring between seven and 12 points in the other six games and shooting 37.5% or below in each of those contests.
Green, who led Houston in scoring (21.0 points per game on .423/.354/.813 shooting) during the regular season, averaged just 13.3 PPG during the postseason, with shooting splits (.372/.295/.667) well below his season-long rates. The 23-year-old finished with eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in Game 7.
“Besides the (second) home game, s–t,” Green said when asked to assess his performance in the series. “Straight s–t. I got to be better. First playoffs is no excuse. Yeah, I’ve got to be better.”
According to Alexander, Warriors defensive stalwart Draymond Green said slowing down Jalen Green was a primary focus for Golden State.
“We did a good job on him to start the series and I think that rattled his confidence a little bit,” said Draymond Green. “This isn’t something he’s been apart of before. He’s good young player. He’ll learn from his mistakes, but you’ve got to give the guys credit who were guarding him. … Anybody who was on him, he was a focal point. We know what they are capable of when he’s scoring and so we really wanted to take him out of this series.”
Houston signed Jalen Green to a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension last fall. That deal, which also includes a 10% trade kicker, will begin in 2025/26. Given the way the offense — and Green — struggled, Alexander anticipates “non-stop” questions this offseason about how Houston can improve on that end of the court, as well as Green’s future with the team.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- While the end result certainly wasn’t what he wanted, second-year swingman Amen Thompson continued his strong play to conclude the series after struggling in the first few games, per Greg Rajan of The Houston Chronicle. Thompson, who chipped in nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, led the team in scoring (24 points) and was the only Rocket to shoot over 50% from the field (9-of-16) in Game 7.
- As Rajan writes, Thompson attended Stephen Curry‘s basketball camp growing up in California, and the four-time champion was effusive in his praise of the 22-year-old. “I talked to him right after the game,” Curry said. “I kind of saw him develop in front of everyone’s eyes. I know people (who) watched the Rockets play night in and night out over the last year have seen the potential and raw athleticism, the hunger and he’s a dawg. He showed all seven games and he’s going to be a problem, for sure. He’s going to try to develop his game, especially offensively, but defensively, he’s a freak athlete and I think he loves the challenge and loves to be in the fight. He was tough all series and kind of crazy that the old man got it done.”
- Adding shooting should be a top priority for the Rockets this summer, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. With several promising young players and a surplus of draft assets, the Rockets will be one of the main teams to follow on the trade market, and they will be “closely” evaluating all their options on that front, Iko reports. Citing team sources, Iko also says Houston is “hopeful” about its chances of having long-term relationships with Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, who are both eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer.
- Greg Rajan and Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle pass along what the Rockets had to say after their season ended, while Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle focuses on what the team learned during the ’24/25 campaign.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN and Mark Deeks of HoopsHype recently previewed Houston’s offseason. Determining what to do with Fred VanVleet‘s team option, possible extensions for Eason and Smith, and re-signing backup center Steven Adams are among the decisions the front office will face this summer.
- In case you missed it, VanVleet and the Rockets have mutual interest in continuing their relationship, though what his contract will look like remains a question mark.
Fenerbahce’s Hayes-Davis, Biberovic Drawing NBA Interest
Forward Nigel Hayes-Davis and swingman Tarik Biberovic, who both play for Fenerbahce in Turkey, are receiving interest from NBA clubs, the team’s general manager Derya Yannier said during an interview with TRT Sports Star (Twitter video link; hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando).
“There is very serious interest from the NBA for Nigel Hayes-Davis and Tarik Biberovic,” Yannier said. “I hope they continue with us, but if they say, ‘I want to try in the NBA,’ we won’t stand in their way.”
Hayes-Davis, 30, had a brief NBA stint during the 2017/18 season, when he suited up for the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings. The former Wisconsin standout has been playing overseas since then in Turkey, Lithuania, and Spain and has been a member of Fenerbahce since 2022. He has averaged a team-best 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game across 37 EuroLeague appearances this season, with a .461/.412/.897 shooting line.
Hayes-Davis was also said to be drawing NBA interest last offseason and was a member of the Select Team that scrimmaged against the U.S. Olympic roster prior to the Paris games. He ultimately signed a new contract with Fenerbahce. While that deal was said to be for three years, it sounds like it includes an NBA opt-out clause.
As for Biberovic, the 6’7″ wing was selected 56th overall in the 2023 NBA draft by the Grizzlies, who still control his NBA rights. So if he wants to make the move stateside, he would have to negotiate exclusively with Memphis, barring a trade.
The 24-year-old has been one of Fenerbahce’s most reliable shooters in recent years. In 2024/25, he averaged 10.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 35 EuroLeague outings (22.7 MPG), with a 43.8% mark on 5.0 three-point attempts per contest. Biberovic is on a long-term deal with the Turkish club, but the contracts includes NBA outs after each season.
Fenerbahce has qualified for the EuroLeague Final Four and leads Turkey’s domestic league with a 25-2 regular season record, so the team will be vying for a pair of titles this spring.
Udonis Haslem Joining Amazon Prime Video As Analyst
Longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem is among the former players joining Amazon Prime Video as a basketball analyst for the 2025/26 season, according to a social media announcement from the streamer (Instagram link).
Haslem spent 20 seasons as a player with the Heat from 2003-23, winning three championships with the club. He played a significant role earlier in his career, starting a total of 501 regular season games and 84 postseason contests, before transitioning into a veteran leadership position during his final few years with the team.
Haslem holds the title of VP of basketball development for the Heat, but has provided commentary on NBA TV and ESPN since his retirement.
In his new role with Prime Video, Haslem will be reuniting with former Miami teammate Dwyane Wade, who is among the other new analysts confirmed today by Amazon. The company also announced that Steve Nash and Candace Parker are coming aboard, confirming prior reporting.
Amazon Prime Video previously announced the hiring of Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki as studio analysts and has also reportedly reached a deal with Stan Van Gundy. Haslem is expected to join Griffin and Nowitzki as part of the studio show, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Amazon is one of two new media rights partners who will begin broadcasting NBA games next season. NBC, which recently announced Carmelo Anthony as a studio analyst, is the other. The two broadcasters will replace TNT, with Disney (ABC/ESPN) retaining its NBA rights.
Warriors Notes: Butler, Hield, Payton, Green
Jimmy Butler helped the Warriors clinch a Game 7 victory and a second-round date with the Timberwolves, scoring 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting while also contributing eight rebounds and seven assists in Sunday’s 103-89 series-clinching victory over Houston.
Butler played just eight minutes in Game 2 due to a pelvic injury that also cost him Game 3, and he had a forgettable Game 5, with just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting in a one-sided loss. But his presence made a difference for the Warriors during the second half of the season and over the course of the first-round playoff series, prompting team owner Joe Lacob to express to Sam Amick of The Athletic on Sunday that he’s glad he signed off on the deadline deal for the star forward.
“Sometimes you get them right,” Lacob told Amick with a laugh. “That’s all I can say.”
Given the ugly way that Butler’s time in Miami ended, there were questions about whether it would make sense to give up multiple assets to acquire him and sacrifice major cap flexibility to sign him to a maximum-salary extension. But general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. insisted Butler was worth that risk and Lacob is happy he trusted his GM.
“Yeah, there were (concerns about Butler),” Lacob said. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”
Here’s more on the Warriors, one of eight NBA teams still in the hunt for a title:
- While no Warrior had more rebounds (10) or assists (7) than Stephen Curry on Sunday, it was Buddy Hield who unexpectedly led the team in scoring, pouring in 33 points while matching an NBA record with nine three-pointers in a Game 7. A nine-year veteran, Hield played in the postseason for the first time in 2024, but didn’t see many minutes in Philadelphia’s first-round loss. As Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic, the veteran sharpshooter embraced the opportunity to play a larger role this time around. “I never been in this situation before,” Hield said. “Just trying to seize the moment. Relish the moment. Just be in the moment. … and enjoy the moment.”
- After earning a start in Game 6, veteran guard Gary Payton II was unable to suit up for Game 7 on Sunday due to an illness, writes Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. “He’s just sick as a dog,” Kerr said before the game. “Woke up ill and didn’t go to shootaround. Hasn’t eaten. No way (he) can play.” Although Payton played a regular rotation role during the series, Golden State struggled during his minutes — the team had a -17.7 net rating when he was on the court and a +8.2 mark when he wasn’t.
- Draymond Green racked up four technical fouls and two flagrants in the Warriors’ seven-game series vs. Houston, but kept his emotions in check in Game 7 to help the team advance to round two, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “He’s the key to our team,” head coach Steve Kerr told Slater. “He’s the guy who can drive winning. But he can also drive losing, frankly. What makes him great is also his kryptonite. His emotion, his passion, his competitive fire. … When Draymond is centered and organized and poised and Steph is taking care of the ball, it’s so easy for the rest of the group just to follow and do their jobs.”
- According to Kerr, Green “set the tone” ahead of Game 7 at a players-only meeting on Saturday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Basically, he owned up to losing his poise in Game 6, and I agreed with him,” Kerr said after Sunday’s victory. “I thought the flagrant foul (in the first quarter of Game 6) was a tone-setter, and he knew it and so he talked to the group and said, ‘I got to be poised and I have to be better, and we’re going to come in here tomorrow and get it done.’ And I think his emotional stability tonight, just his poise from the start, set a great tone.”
- Butler and Green will be public enemies number one and two in Minnesota during the conference semifinals, according to Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic, who notes that Butler’s messy exit in 2018 and Green’s frequent criticisms of Rudy Gobert have earned the duo the ire of Timberwolves fans.
Jazz Sign Will Hardy To Long-Term Extension
The Jazz have signed head coach Will Hardy to a contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Jazz, the new deal is a multiyear agreement that will keep Hardy under club control through 2031.
Team owner Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge both issued statements on the move, with Smith referring to Hardy as an “incredible leader” and a “strong ambassador” for the franchise.
“He has been a tremendous partner to Danny, (general manager) Justin (Zanik), and me,” Smith said. “There is no one we would rather have leading us to our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship here in Utah.”
“Will’s leadership has been invaluable to our program,” Ainge added. “He has established a vision for our players and a strong foundation of core values, competitive habits, and growth mindset. He is one of the brightest young coaches in our league, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him.”
The Jazz hired Hardy to replace Quin Snyder in 2022, making him the youngest head coach in the league at the time and reportedly giving him a five-year contract. Before arriving in Utah, Hardy spent one season on Ime Udoka‘s coaching staff in Boston and was a longtime assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
Hardy’s record during his three years as Utah’s head coach is underwhelming. The team has gone just 85-161 (.346) during that stretch and hasn’t made the playoffs or the play-in tournament.
However, the Jazz began tearing down their roster the year Hardy arrived, trading away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell that offseason and parting ways with several more veterans in subsequent seasons. Hardy kept Utah more competitive than expected in each of his first two years on the job, earning Coach of the Year votes in 2023, before the team bottomed out at 17-65 this past season.
The new deal for Hardy suggests the Jazz like the job he has done during the club’s retooling years and want to give him a chance to see through the next stages of Utah’s rebuilding process.
VanVleet, Rockets Have Mutual Interest In Continuing Relationship
After scoring 26 points in Game 5 and 29 in Game 6 to help the Rockets force a win-or-go-home game in Houston on Sunday, veteran point guard Fred VanVleet couldn’t push his young team over the top in Game 7. He made another trio of three-pointers and had 17 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Rockets, whose season ended with a 103-89 loss to Golden State.
VanVleet, who signed a three-year, maximum-salary contract with Houston during the 2023 offseason, has a team option worth nearly $44.9MM on that deal for 2025/26. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Rockets intend to exercise that option, post-game comments from head coach Ime Udoka and VanVleet on Sunday made it clear that there’s mutual interest in continuing the relationship.
“I think both sides want to be here and want him here,” Udoka said (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “From day one, the importance of him at the point guard position, leading us in a lot of ways and allowing guys to grow at the same time. … He’s a huge part of our growth. Love everything he’s done. Perfect combination of on-ball (and) off-ball for our guards and our young guys to grow. Obviously would love to have him back and I think the feeling’s mutual.”
As Udoka alludes to, the Rockets targeted VanVleet in large part because of his defense, toughness, and championship experience. His offensive numbers since arriving in Houston (15.9 PPG and 6.9 APG on .400/.369/.842 shooting) have been just solid, not spectacular, but he has played a key role in guiding a young team to the next level. The Rockets won no more than 22 games in any of the three years before VanVleet arrived, but have gone 93-71 since signing him.
For his part, VanVleet echoed his head coach’s comments and expressed a desire to remain in Houston in ’25/26 and beyond.
“Obviously, I put my heart and soul into this and this is where I want to be,” VanVleet said (Twitter video link). “It’s definitely a family situation. I’ve got a lot of love for our coaching staff and (general manager) Rafael (Stone) and the Fertitta family and just what we set out to do when I had my free agent meeting two years ago and we’re on that track. It was never a short-term vision — it was a long-term goal. We’re on track, we’re on schedule.
“It’s a tough way to lose and end the season, but my mind’s very far away from contract stuff right now. We’ll get to that when it’s time.”
With lucrative new extensions for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green taking effect this summer, the Rockets would likely prefer to reduce VanVleet’s cap hit. Picking up his option would bring the team’s guaranteed commitments to $176MM+ for nine players next season. The luxury tax line is projected to be at $187.9MM.
Given that context, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Houston declines VanVleet’s $44.9MM option with an understanding that he’d accept a longer-term deal paying him less money in 2025/26 but increasing his overall guarantee across multiple years. If the Rockets decide they’re comfortable with that $44.9MM cap charge next season, they could also exercise the option and explore a more team-friendly extension that begins in ’26/27.
44 Prospects Invited To G League Elite Camp
A total of 44 college and international prospects have been invited to the 2025 G League Elite Camp, aka the G League Combine, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The list of invitees, as reported by Scotto, is as follows:
- Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Providence)
- Brooks Barnhizer (Northwestern)
- Tamar Bates (Missouri)
- Nathan Bittle (Oregon)
- Dylan Cardwell (Auburn)
- Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
- Thierry Darlan (Delaware Blue Coats – G League)
- Johnell Davis (Arkansas)
- Jyare Davis (Syracuse)
- RJ Davis (UNC)
- Dawson Garcia (Minnesota)
- Keshon Gilbert (Iowa State)
- Caleb Grill (Missouri)
- Chucky Hepburn (Louisville)
- Chase Hunter (Clemson)
- Kobe Johnson (UCLA)
- Curtis Jones (Iowa State)
- Arthur Kaluma (Texas)
- Miles Kelly (Auburn)
- Viktor Lakhin (Clemson)
- Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne – Australia)
- Caleb Love (Arizona)
- Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh)
- Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee)
- Chance McMillian (Texas Tech)
- Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana)
- Igor Milicic Jr. (Tennessee)
- Jacksen Moni (North Dakota State)
- Eli Ndiaye (Real Madrid – Spain)
- Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State)
- Isaac Nogues (Rip City Remix – G League)
- Lachlan Olbrich (Illawarra – Australia)
- Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss)
- Jonathan Pierre (Belmont)
- Jaron Pierre Jr. (Jacksonville State)
- Will Richard (Florida)
- Kadary Richmond (St. John’s)
- Joson Sanon (Arizona State)
- Nate Santos (Dayton)
- Brandon Stroud (South Florida)
- Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)
- Amari Williams (Kentucky)
- Chris Youngblood (Alabama)
These prospects will meet with NBA evaluators and scrimmage for two days in Chicago starting on May 9, ahead of the league’s annual draft combine. A small group of standout players from this event are generally invited to stay in Chicago for the full-fledged combine that takes place immediately following the G League Elite Camp. Typically, at least a half-dozen players move on.
While the May 11-18 combine focuses on the top-ranked players in each draft class, the G League Elite Camp offers opportunity to prospects further down boards who are more likely to go undrafted.
None of the 44 players invited to the G League Elite Camp show up in the top 50 of ESPN’s list of this year’s top prospects. Williams (No. 58) and Lewis (No. 59) are the top-ranked prospects for the event, per ESPN.
The G League Elite Camp will give invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 28. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.
Jose Alvarado, Terance Mann, and Jaylen Martin are among the current NBA players who once took part in the G League Elite Camp. Last year’s list of invitees was highlighted by Jaylen Wells, though he ultimately received a combine invite before either event tipped off.
Keion Brooks, Isaiah Crawford, Yongxi Cui, Enrique Freeman, Emanuel Miller, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Anton Watson were among the other 2024 participants who signed two-way contracts with NBA teams this past year, while Isaac Jones finished the 2024/25 season on a standard contract in Sacramento.
And-Ones: Award Announcements, Draft Assets, Fournier, NBC Theme Song
The NBA will announce the Coach of the Year award winner on Monday evening, the league’s PR department tweets.
Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) and Ime Udoka (Rockets) are the three finalists. Atkinson, who led Cleveland to the best record in the East, is considered a heavy favorite to win the award.
The Executive of the Year award will be announced on Tuesday and the Social Justice Champion will be revealed on Wednesday.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Not surprisingly, the Thunder are ranked No. 1 in the league in terms of draft assets by ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Jeremy Woo. They could potentially have three first-rounders in this year’s draft. They have six extra first-rounders in future years, plus swap rights to three years. They also own 17 future second-rounders. The Nets, Jazz, Rockets and Hornets round out the top five.
- Evan Fournier, who is currently looking to win a EuroLeague championship with Olympiacos in Greece, spoke about a handful of topics, including his disappointing experience with the Knicks, in an interview with Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (subscription required). Fournier played two-and-a-half seasons in New York and finished last season with the Pistons.
- “Roundball Rock” is back. NBC will bring back the sports theme song next season when the network begins its 11-year media rights deal to air NBA games. Music composer and radio and TV personality John Tesh wrote “Roundball Rock,” which became popular during NBC’s coverage of the league from 1990-2002, according to Jenna West of The Athletic.
Magic Could Target Anfernee Simons In Trade
Could Anfernee Simons solve the Magic‘s offensive issues? According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Trail Blazers guard has been increasingly projected around the league as a potential target for Orlando.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman indicated in a postseason press conference that upgrades this offseason would likely come via trades.
“Most of our roster upgrades are going to have to come more through swapping than just adding,” Weltman said. “The reason we’ve been a good team the last couple of years — and I do believe we are a good team — is because we’ve got an elite defensive backbone. And as as we look to improve our offense, we have to be very cognizant of not unraveling the DNA of our team. That’s what we have to balance this summer.”
Orlando had the league’s worst three-point percentage and Weltman vowed to address that problem, as well as others.
“What we need is proven shot-making, proven offensive play, someone that’s going to come in and help augment our weakness,” Weltman said. “Clearly, we need to get better offensively. Clearly, we need to shoot the ball better. Those are the goals and that’s the lens we need to look at as we enter the offseason. I don’t think anything’s off the table. Veteran help, proven offensive help is what we’re going to be looking for.”
Simons made 70 starts for the Trail Blazers this season, averaging 19.3 points and 4.8 assists per game. He shot 42.6% overall and 36.3% from beyond the three-point arc. Simons is entering his walk year and will make $27.7MM next season.
Simons was believed to be one of the players the Blazers were willing to move prior to this season’s trade deadline. However, general manager Joe Cronin didn’t find a suitable offer.
Orlando seemingly made a major upgrade on the wing last offseason by signing free agent guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The former Nugget had a disappointing season with the Magic, averaging 8.7 points in 29.6 minutes per game while making 77 starts. His three-point percentage was a subpar 34.2%, his worst since the 2015/16 season. KCP made over 40% of his long-range attempts in his previous two seasons with Denver.
Losing Jalen Suggs after he played just 35 games was a major blow. Suggs averaged 16.2 points per game before he underwent season-ending surgery but Weltman’s comments indicated that Suggs’ return alone won’t put Orlando over the hump.
Latest From Stein, Fischer: Hawks, Iisalo, Suns, Doncic
The Hawks have begun the interviewing process for their next president of basketball operations, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer report in their latest rumor round-up at Substack.
The Hawks fired general manager Landry Fields last month and promoted Onsi Saleh to that role, but Atlanta wants to pair him with another top executive.
Sixers GM Elton Brand, former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth and former Kings GM Monte McNair have already undergone initial interviews for the position, apparently via Zoom, per Stein and Fischer.
Former BYU and EuroLeague swingman Travis Hansen and G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim are also on the Hawks’ radar.
Here’s more from Stein and Fischer:
- Grizzlies management was so interested in adding Tuomas Iisalo to their coaching staff that they sent multiple executives to France last season to evaluate and ultimately recruit him to Memphis. The Grizzlies gave him a seven-figure salary and also paid a seven-figure buyout last summer to hire him away from Paris Basketball. Iisalo replaced Taylor Jenkins late in the regular season and had the interim tag removed this past week.
- Newly hired Suns GM Brian Gregory is expected to conduct the team’s head coaching search, with more than a dozen candidates under consideration. Though Phoenix has strong interest in hiring a coach without previous NBA head coaching experience, there are two candidates who don’t fit that description — Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger. Borrego had a stint as Charlotte’s head coach, while Joerger has been a head coach with Memphis and Sacramento.
- Luka Doncic isn’t eligible for an extension until early August but the process has already begun. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick had dinner with Doncic and Doncic’s business manager, Lara Beth Seager, two nights after the Lakers were eliminated. The star guard has one year left on his current deal.