Rockets Notes: Offseason, Durant, VanVleet, Whitmore, Sheppard
Even after winning 52 games and claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets didn’t see themselves as a legitimate championship contender this spring, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Rockets, making their first playoff appearance since 2020, knew the top-seeded Thunder were much further along in their title chase, according to Fischer, who writes that Houston’s goal this season was similar to Oklahoma City’s in the last year or two — evaluating a roster heavy on recent lottery picks to collect data and get a better sense of which players are long-term keepers and which ones might not be.
With their postseason run over, the Rockets will now have to weigh whether or not to pursue a major move on the trade market this summer, Fischer writes, noting that the team is expected to bring back most of its core and “proceed judiciously” going forward. General manager Rafael Stone didn’t contradict Fischer’s reporting when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.
“The business we’re in, nobody’s untouchable,” Stone said (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic). “But we deeply value everyone on our roster. We have those (extra draft) picks, we accumulated them so we could draft guys or upgrade our current roster. We’ll see what makes the most sense.”
As Fischer details, pundits figure to repeatedly link Suns forward Kevin Durant to Houston this summer for a number of reasons — the Rockets control several Phoenix draft assets; Durant played college ball at Texas and played in Oklahoma City alongside close friend and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey; and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant during KD’s time in Brooklyn. However, Fischer insists that “more indications than not” suggests Houston’s interest in Durant has been overstated.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- After Fred VanVleet and Udoka expressed a desire to keep the point guard in Houston going forward, Stone declined to comment on any contract specifics on Tuesday, but confirmed that the Rockets want to retain VanVleet. “He’s been the person and player that we hoped we were getting and we’re very optimistic he’ll be with us for the foreseeable future,” Stone said, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- In a story for The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), Lerner poses five burning questions facing the Rockets this offseason, starting with whether or not they keep VanVleet and whether they’ll pursue a star. Lerner also considers whether Houston will extend Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, which of their own free agents they’ll try to re-sign, and how much this year’s draft matters to the team.
- The Magic and Rockets share many of the same strengths and weaknesses, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests that both teams will be in the market for offensive upgrades this offseason. However, there appears to be one key difference between the two clubs, as Hollinger observes — Orlando needs to strengthen its supporting cast around star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, while Houston still needs to find an alpha dog, either inside or outside of the organization.
- Within his analysis of the Rockets’ future, Hollinger points out that the team may soon need to make decisions on whether a pair of little-used rotation players are keepers. Former first-round pick Cam Whitmore has shown flashes of real promise, but hasn’t played consistently, while last year’s No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard spent most of his rookie season on the bench even though the organization reportedly thinks very highly of him. “We have had in-depth conversations with Cam probably more than anybody,” Udoka said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Lerner). “… Ton of potential there, but consistency is the main thing and he knows that.”
Scotto’s Latest: Jerome, Caporn, Suns, NBAGL Elite Camp, Pelicans
Good health and the opportunity to play for newly minted Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson were the key factors that fueled Ty Jerome‘s breakout 2024/25 season, the Cavaliers guard recently told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
“Kenny empowers me to be aggressive every time I step on the court and to play my game,” Jerome said. “I’ve got the ultimate green light. He trusts his guards to be yourself with unlimited confidence. When good players are playing with confidence, good stuff usually happens.”
After finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, Jerome appears poised for a nice raise in free agency, but it remains to be seen whether the Cavaliers will be in position to give him that raise. Cleveland’s team salary is on the rise, with the club projected to operate well into second-apron territory even before accounting for a new deal for Jerome.
According to Scotto, that has rival executives wondering whether Jerome will leave Cleveland in free agency or whether the team might make a cost-cutting move elsewhere in order to bring back the standout reserve. For his part, the 27-year-old guard would prefer to stay where he is.
“I think I have an amazing situation here with a coaching staff that empowers me and a team that empowers me,” Jerome told Scotto. “… Everyone wants to see each other succeed and empower everyone. That’s really rare. When you have that in the NBA, you don’t want to take it for granted. Yes, people want to get paid for sure, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but when you have that, you don’t want to take it for granted.”
Here are a few more highlights from Scotto’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- Scotto adds Wizards assistant Adam Caporn to the list of head coaching candidates expected to receive consideration from the Suns as they seek a replacement for Mike Budenholzer. Caporn, who previously worked in Brooklyn as a G League head coach and NBA assistant, is also the new coach of Australia’s national team.
- Real Madrid big man Eli Ndiaye has declined an opportunity to take part in the NBA’s G League Elite Camp this weekend, according to Scotto, who says Iowa wing Payton Sandfort and Kentucky guard Lamont Butler are among the prospects not included on the initial list of invitees who have since received and accepted invitations. Real Madrid’s season in the Spanish League isn’t yet over, which is likely why Ndiaye is passing on his invite.
- According to Scotto, the Pelicans are hiring Jason Hervey, who previously worked under Joe Dumars in Detroit as a video coordinator and director of player development. Scotto doesn’t provide specifics on Hervey’s new position in New Orleans, but notes that he has worked as an advance scout, a personnel scout, and a quality control coach for various NBA organizations since leaving the Pistons.
Pistons, Malik Beasley Have Mutual Interest In New Deal
The Pistons and wing Malik Beasley have mutual interest in working out a new contract agreement this summer, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The news comes as no surprise, as Beasley has repeatedly indicated that he’d like to extend his stay with the Pistons on the heels of a career year that saw him rank second in the NBA in made three-pointers (319) and finish as the runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year voting. After the team’s season came to an end last week, he said he had “never had this much fun coming to the gym,” adding that Detroit is “definitely a place I want to be.”
The Pistons, meanwhile, won’t have as much cap flexibility as they have in recent seasons, with Cade Cunningham‘s maximum-salary rookie scale extension set to take effect, so they’ll be hard-pressed to do better in free agency if they let Beasley walk.
According to Scotto, Beasley is expected to draw interest from teams who have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at their disposal. That exception is projected to be worth up to $14.1MM in 2025/26.
The Pistons got a bargain when they signed Beasley to a one-year, $6MM deal a year ago, but that will limit their ability to make him a competitive offer using his Non-Bird rights — they’ll only be able to go up to a starting salary of $7.2MM using the Non-Bird exception.
As Scotto writes, that means Detroit may have to use cap room or (if the team operates over the cap) its own mid-level exception in order to retain Beasley. The Pistons have an estimated $138MM in guaranteed money committed to 10 players, with a projected cap of $154.6MM, so they could theoretically create cap space. However, unless they plan to let both Tim Hardaway Jr. and/or Dennis Schröder walk for nothing, they’re likely to be an over-the-cap team.
On that note, the Pistons also have interest in re-signing Schröder, according to Scotto, who says multiple members of the team spoke highly of the point guard’s impact as a “veteran leader and floor general.” Detroit has Schröder’s Early Bird rights and he’s coming off a $13MM salary, so there likely wouldn’t be any cap-related roadblocks in the way of bringing him back.
Thunder’s Sam Presti Named Executive Of The Year
Sam Presti, the Thunder‘s executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager, has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for 2024/25, the league announced today (via Twitter). It’s the first time that Presti, who has run the Thunder’s front office since 2007, has earned the honor.
Presti, who built the Thunder around a young core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, made two notable moves last offseason to fortify the roster. He traded Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for defensive standout Alex Caruso and signed big man Isaiah Hartenstein away from the Knicks in free agency.
Despite some injury woes that prevented Hartenstein and Holmgren from suiting up together until after the trade deadline, the Thunder dominated the NBA’s regular season in 2024/25, racking up a league-high 68 wins and recording a net rating of +12.7, one of the best marks in league history.
Oklahoma City ranked third in the NBA in offensive rating (119.2) and led the league in defensive rating (106.6) by a comfortable margin.
The Thunder, viewed as the heavy favorites to come out of the West this spring, remain well positioned to contend for years to come due not only to the talent already under contract but to their collection of future draft picks.
The Executive of the Year award is voted on by fellow team executives rather than by media members.
According to the NBA, Presti received 10 of 30 possible first-place votes and showed up on 22 ballots overall, earning 74 total points. He narrowly beat out Koby Altman of the Cavaliers (six first-place votes; 58 points) and Trajan Langdon of the Pistons (six first-place votes; 52 points), with Rafael Stone of the Rockets (four first-place votes; 38 points) coming in fourth.
A total of 13 executives showed up on at least one ballot, with Lawrence Frank (Clippers), Rob Pelinka (Lakers), Sean Marks (Nets), and Brad Stevens (Celtics) earning the remaining first-place votes. The full results can be viewed here (Twitter link).
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/6/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included whether the Cavaliers and Celtics are in danger of a second-round exit, the Bulls' options with the 12th pick in the draft, the case for the Rockets to trade for a veteran star, the chances of LeBron James heading to Dallas and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
Celtics Notes: Shot Selection, Porzingis, Waitzkin, Mazzulla, Stevens
The Celtics set an ignominious record on Monday in their loss to New York. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, their 60 three-point attempts were the most ever taken by a team in a playoff game, but their 45 three-point misses also represented a new high-water mark for the NBA postseason.
Boston hasn’t been shy this season about firing away from beyond the three-point arc. The team’s 48.2 attempts per game during the regular season were nearly six more than that of second-place Golden State (42.4). After making just 25.0% of their outside shots in a Game 1 loss, they expressed mixed feelings about having attempted 60 three-pointers compared to just 37 two-point tries.
“I look at the process and the shot quality, (and) our shot quality was high,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “There were probably eight to 10 shots that could be better at for sure.”
ESPN’s data backs up Mazzulla’s assertion. According to ESPN Research, 45 of the Celtics’ three-point attempts were “uncontested,” but the team missed 32 of those shots. Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum suggested after the game that they probably should’ve tried to get to the rim more often as those misses piled up.
“In those moments when the other team got momentum you can’t just fire up threes to break up momentum,” Brown said, per Windhorst. “You got to get to the free throw line, get to the paint, get to the basket, maybe get an easy two. You hit some free throws and then maybe the next three-pointer feels a little bit better.”
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- The Celtics essentially cruised to a title last season, never losing a Game 1 or more than a single game in any playoff series. However, as Jay King of The Athletic writes, Mazzulla predicted ahead of the second round that his team would have to overcome more adversity this time around if it hoped to repeat. “There’s been great teams that have gone down (in series), great teams that have blown leads, kept leads, all that stuff just kind of goes into the nature of the competitive arena that you’re in, and you have to take the good with the bad if you plan on being in it for a good amount of time,” Mazzulla said before the Game 1 loss. “So studying that gives you the perspective you need to get to where you want to get to.”
- Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis exited Monday’s game with 7:34 left in the second quarter and didn’t return due to an illness, as Souichi Terada of MassLive.com writes. Mazzulla said after the game that he hadn’t had a chance to check on Porzingis, who went scoreless in 13 minutes of action. “Obviously it impacts the game with his ability on both ends of the floor, and it obviously changes sub patterns or changes the things that you’re able to do matchup-wise and play-call frequency wise, so yeah, I think we felt it,” the Celtics’ coach said of the big man’s absence. “But it’s no excuse. We had plenty of opportunities to do it, and hopefully he’s ready for Game 2.”
- In an interesting story for The Boston Globe (subscription required), Adam Himmelsbach takes an in-depth look at the impact that former child chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin has had on Mazzulla. According to Himmelsbach, Waitzkin – who was featured in the 1993 film ‘Searching For Bobby Fischer’ – was quietly hired by the Celtics as a consultant for this season and has become one of Mazzulla’s “most trusted” confidants. “Josh is great at finding certain segments of the game where it either went really well or it didn’t go well and seeing it from a non-tactical perspective,” Mazzulla explained. “It’s more getting into the mind of an individual fighter or performer.”
- In a feature story for The Athletic, Jay King explores how Brad Stevens‘ time at Butler helped provide a blueprint for him to build the roster that turned the Celtics into champions. “Brad understands the most important thing in any organization, whether it’s the business world or sports world, is people,” said Zach Hahn, a former Butler guard who played for Stevens. “And he surrounds himself and finds people that live by the same standards that he lives by.”
Magic’s Banchero Discusses ‘Challenging’ Season, Potential Extension, More
Speaking to Marc J. Spears of ESPN as part of a diary series for Andscape, Magic forward Paolo Banchero described the 2024/25 campaign as “more challenging than any other season I can remember in my life.” In addition to missing more than two months due to a torn oblique, Banchero saw his team take a step backward in the standings — Orlando finished with a 41-41 record after winning 47 games a year earlier.
“There was the injury and then coming back and playing myself back in shape. All the while, I’m still trying to compete with my team and win games,” Banchero said. “We were going through a rough month, losing a lot of games, dropping in the standings. And then you are coming back during the All-Star break, finding a little bit of a rhythm, winning some games, clinching the postseason (spot) and going up against the defending champ in the playoffs.”
According to Banchero, the season served as something of a “wake-up call” for him and his Magic teammates, who were plagued by health issues and didn’t take the step forward they hoped to after breaking through and making the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in four years.
“That’s just what I’ve learned over my first three years in this league: you can’t take any years in this league for granted,” Banchero said. “Every season is a new race. You have to approach it as such. You can’t just expect to have success or expect to be somewhere without actually putting the work in. Also, having luck; some of that is luck as well the way the cards are dealt.”
Here are a few more highlights from Banchero’s final diary entry of the year for Andscape:
On learning to be mindful of how his body is feeling:
“Getting hurt so early in the season — I had just come off a 50-point game, fourth game of the year — I was feeling in tip-top shape physically and I just felt like nothing could stop me or harm me. The game I did get hurt, I felt myself being really fatigued. And instead of asking for a sub or saying I need one, I kept it all in and said, ‘I’m good. I’m going to be fine.’ I ended up getting hurt in what would be a season-altering injury for me. So, I learned to listen to your body. Don’t overwork or over push yourself trying to be Superman in the first month of the season. It’s not worth it. Obviously, be smarter about that.”
On not being satisfied with new career highs in points (25.9) and rebounds (7.5) per game:
“Statistically, this is my best season, but to me, it doesn’t feel that way. … I really did come into this season expecting to dominate the whole season into the playoffs, accomplish all my goals. So, when that doesn’t happen, it leaves a lot to be desired and makes you even more hungry. I’m not going into the offseason like, ‘I just had a career year. I’m good.’ Stop. I feel like food was taken off my plate, in a sense. I feel like something was stolen from me. Not saying no one stole anything from me, but that’s just how I feel. … I’m just looking forward to bouncing back.”
On the possibility of signing a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension worth a projected $247MM this offseason:
“I don’t know, man. I was in over my head when I signed my rookie (contract). So, I really haven’t thought much about that. … But it’s a blessing and hopefully all that stuff works out if I’m able to sign with the team and lock in my future. That’s every young player’s goal coming into this league, establishing yourself early, get a second contract. So, when (the) time comes, I’m sure all that stuff we can figure out. I don’t know. They say more money, more problems. So, we’ll see what happens.”
On potential roster upgrades for the Magic:
“We have a good feel of what our weaknesses are and what we need to work on. We just have to address some of those things. I’m looking forward to it, what changes are made. If there aren’t any changes, then there aren’t any changes, but if there are then I’m going to be ready to get to work and embrace it with open arms. … I’ve never really been a big recruiter, I’m not going to lie, but hey, if you’re interested, I can sell you. I have to play that by ear and just wait and see.”
Community Shootaround: Are NBA’s Top Seeds In Trouble?
The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs are off to an unexpected start, with the league’s top three regular season teams all dropping the first game of their respective series.
The 64-win Cavaliers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, fell to the Pacers on Sunday, and the No. 2 Celtics followed suit on Monday by losing to the Knicks. In Monday’s late game, the Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular season wins and dominated Memphis in round one, blew a late-game lead to the Nuggets and lost Game 1.
None of the three games were one-sided. The Pacers and Cavaliers were neck-and-neck through three-and-a-half quarters before Indiana pulled away late in the game; the Knicks required overtime to sneak past the Celtics; and the Thunder fell to the Nuggets on an Aaron Gordon three-pointer in the game’s final seconds.
It’s also worth noting that the Pacers are unlikely to make nearly 53% of their three-point tries (19-of-36) on a regular basis, as they did in Game 1. The Celtics probably aren’t going to miss 45 three-point attempts (they went 15-of-60) very often. And the Thunder could have easily won Game 1 if not for some questionable fouling decisions in crunch time.
In other words, the higher seeds may have no reason to panic — it’s not as if their opponents found glaring weaknesses that can be exploited for the rest of the series. Still, the margin for error in a competitive matchup can be slim, and the fact that those three higher seeds have all given up home-court advantage already could come back to haunt them later in the series.
Of the three teams who trail 1-0 in their respective series, the Cavaliers appear to be in the most danger due in large part to their injury situation. Darius Garland has been out since Game 2 of the first round due to a toe injury and is considered questionable to play in Game 2 vs. Indiana. Evan Mobley (ankle) and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) have joined him on the injury report with the same questionable designation after suffering injuries in Game 1.
Still, oddsmakers don’t appear overly concerned about the top seeds just yet. Despite the fact that they’re trailing in their series, the Cavaliers (-230), Thunder (-325), and Celtics (-355) are listed as solid favorites to advance by BetOnline.ag at the time of this writing. By comparison, the Timberwolves are just a -200 favorite against the lower-seeded Warriors despite that series not yet getting underway.
We want to know what you think. Do you still expect the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder to make it through to the conference finals, or have the Game 1 results of any of those three series made you more inclined to pick an underdog to advance?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts.
2025 NBA Free Agent Preview: Shooting Guards
There are no stars among 2025's free agent shooting guards, but that doesn't mean the class is bereft of useful players. A pair of restricted free agents look like strong candidates to cash in this summer, assuming they don't squeezed by the market. Meanwhile, several role players - including a pair of Sixth Man of the Year finalists - increased their value in contract years by logging heavy rotation minutes for playoff teams.
Let’s take a closer look at this summer’s free agent shooting guards, as we continue our breakdown of the 2025 free agent class by position.
Clippers To Continue To Build Around Leonard, Harden
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says that retaining James Harden is the front office’s “first priority” this offseason, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Harden has a $36.3MM option on his contract for next season. He must decide whether to pick it up before the free agent period begins. If he doesn’t, Frank will look to re-sign Harden to a multiyear deal.
“Because James has a player option, it would be irresponsible for me not to have contingency plans with it,” Frank said. “But I’m going in with the intent that if he doesn’t pick up his option, that we’re going to be able to reach an agreement that works well for James and works well for the Clippers.”
Frank lavished praise on Harden despite the veteran guard’s underwhelming playoff performances against Denver. Frank noted that Harden appeared in 79 regular season games, played the fifth-most total minutes in the NBA (2,789), was fifth in the league in assists per game (8.7), while also averaging 22.8 points per game.
“We really asked James to do a lot,” Frank said via Zoom. “And at his age to deliver what he did…[He played in] 79 games, and he does that time and time and time again. We have a deep appreciation for that sort of availability and to be able to deliver and do what he did…We have a great level of appreciation for what James did this year.”
Frank plans to continue to build the team around Kawhi Leonard and Harden. Leonard appeared in 37 regular season games this season after returning from a knee ailment that delayed his season debut until Jan. 4.
“There’s another level for him out there that he’s going to get to next year,” Frank said, per Beth Harris of The Associated Press. “I think looking at next year that we can be better with more games from Kawhi.”
Here’s more from Frank’s press conference:
- Despite the Game 7 meltdown against the Nuggets, Frank is optimistic the core of the roster can produce better results in the postseason. “It was great that we were healthy for the first time in a long time, but that doesn’t mean you only get one shot at it,” he said. “We’ll keep on taking cracks at it, and at the same time we’ve always been open-minded and learning the errors of our way and finding areas where we can correct and get better.”
- Nicolas Batum has a $4.9MM option on his contract and Frank hopes the veteran forward picks it up. “Yes, 1,000 percent, we hope that Nico comes back,” he said.
- He admits the team needs some younger bodies. “We’re the oldest team in the league,” he said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “Always the quandary that we’ve had is you that can have youth, but if the deck is stacked … if you have a bunch of veterans ahead of ’em, when does the youth really ever get in the game?”
- While the Clippers generally lack financial flexibility, Frank feels he can round out the roster with some lower-cost options. “We have the non-taxpayer mid-level, which is the same tool that was used to sign Derrick Jones Jr. last summer,” he said. “We also have some trade exceptions and we’ll always be an attractive place at the minimum market based on our history of not just how the guys making the minimum have played, but how we’ve taken care of ’em and rewarded ’em.”