Rockets Gauging Dorian Finney-Smith’s Trade Value?
Houston is exploring the trade market in search of a potential backcourt upgrade, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who hears from sources that the Rockets have looked into what sort of return they could get for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round draft capital.
A veteran three-and-D wing who signed with Houston last summer, Finney-Smith missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left ankle surgery. Since making his debut on Christmas Day, the 32-year-old has played a very limited role, logging between 13 and 18 minutes in each of his first 12 outings.
Finney-Smith has averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per night so far as a Rocket, and he’s earning $12.7MM this season, with a guaranteed $13.3MM salary for 2026/27 — he’s under contract through 2028/29, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed.
As a result, Finney-Smith’s value on the trade market will likely be pretty limited, though it’s worth noting that his overall impact isn’t always reflected by his counting stats. While it’s a small sample, Houston has a +9.5 net rating and a 102.1 defensive rating during his 186 minutes on the court.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Grizzlies are among the guards whom league personnel have identified as possible trade targets for Houston, per ClutchPoints. Siegel also mentions Bulls guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu as potential players of interest for the Rockets, though it would take more than Finney-Smith and second-round picks to acquire either one.
The Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they want to move Pippen, Siegel acknowledges. Additionally, any deal involving Pippen and Finney-Smith would require more outgoing salary from Memphis’ side, since the Grizzlies guard is earning just $2.3MM.
Alvarado, meanwhile, is considered the Pelican who is most likely to be dealt and has generated interest from multiple teams, including the Knicks and Pistons, Siegel writes. Atlanta and Indiana were also linked to Alvarado earlier this season.
Like Pippen, Alvarado has a relatively small cap hit ($4.5MM), so unless more pieces are added, a deal sending Finney-Smith to New Orleans wouldn’t be practical for the Pelicans, who are operating just $2MM below the luxury tax line. They don’t want to surpass that threshold or take back long-term money in a trade, per Siegel.
As the Rockets consider their options on the trade market, they’re not looking to trade veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and they’re also unlikely to make a move that would reduce Reed Sheppard‘s role, Siegel adds.
Western Rumors: Pelicans, Rockets, Clippers, Suns, Blazers
Although the Pelicans have turned away teams expressing interest in forward Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones, potential trade partners who have talked to New Orleans have gotten the impression the club is open to moving center Yves Missi and/or swingman Jordan Hawkins, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
After starting 67 games and averaging 26.8 minutes per night as a rookie, Missi has made just seven starts and is averaging 18.2 MPG this season, having fallen behind newcomer Derik Queen on the frontcourt depth chart. As for Hawkins, the former 14th overall pick is having his worst NBA season, averaging just 4.4 points in 14.2 minutes per game, with a 30.3% mark on three-point tries.
While Hawkins likely wouldn’t have much value on the trade market, the Pelicans could potentially extract a decent return for Missi, who had a solid first year in 2024/25. Fischer confirms the Pacers have inquired on the big man, as previously reported by Michael Scotto.
Meanwhile, some of the teams interested in Murphy and Jones continue to hold out hope that the Pelicans are just posturing when they say they aren’t trading either of them this season, but Fischer believes the Pels’ stance is real, given how strongly they’ve rebuffed inquiries on those players so far.
Here are a few more Western Conference rumors from Fischer:
- The Rockets have dropped four of their last six games and have gone just 8-9 since their 15-5 start, but Fischer doesn’t get a sense that Houston is panicking at all, pointing out that the club played 23 of its first 36 games on the road. According to Fischer, the Rockets’ struggles would probably have to worsen considerably for the team to feel any urgency to acquire another ball-handler, especially since there’s still a chance Fred VanVleet could return from his ACL tear for the playoffs.
- When the Clippers got off to a 6-21 start this season, there were teams optimistic that James Harden and Ivica Zubac would be on the trade block this winter, but those hopes have “faded considerably” with L.A. winning 11 of 13 games to reenter the postseason race, Fischer writes.
- Rival executives are keeping a close eye on the Suns and Trail Blazers, per Fischer. Phoenix has won nine of its past 12 games, while Portland won seven of eight before losing to New York and Golden State this week. There’s curiosity about whether one or both of those teams could emerge as a “sneaky” buyer at the trade deadline, Fischer explains, observing that both the Suns and Blazers have multiple mid-tier contracts that could be used as trade chips in various kinds of deals.
Stein’s Latest: Davis, Mavs, VanVleet, Lakers
The Hawks and Mavericks are in something of a holding pattern when it comes to a potential Anthony Davis trade, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (Substack link).
Given Atlanta’s tendency to avoid the luxury tax, Stein suggests it’s unlikely that the team will add Davis’ contract, which will pay him $58.5MM next season and $62.8MM in the 2027/28 season, without moving Trae Young, who has a $48.9MM player option for next season.
Stein adds that, despite previous reports that the Hawks would be willing to move former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the right deal, his sources indicate that an in-season trade for Davis likely wouldn’t fit that bill.
Rich Paul, who represents Davis, is also a player in these conversations. Stein notes that Paul has a strong, plugged-in relationship with many of the top decision-makers in the Mavericks’ organization and that there are indications he views Atlanta as a good landing spot for his client, though such a deal may have to wait until the offseason.
We have more from Stein’s most recent newsletter:
- Regardless of what happens with Davis, it’s clear that the Mavericks are taking a hard look at their roster. Stein writes that there’s a belief that everyone on the team outside of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving is considered potentially on the table. The Mavs have a 13-23 record on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
- When Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during an unofficial Rockets preseason mini-camp, the expectation was that he would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season. However, Stein reports that Houston isn’t ruling out a return for the 31-year-old point guard. VanVleet is apparently attacking his rehab process hard with the intention of giving himself the chance of returning to play before the season is over.
- The Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing such as Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III is well-documented, but their pathway to adding that player is complicated for multiple reasons. The first is that the two Pelicans‘ wings are considered unlikely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the second is that the Lakers are not expected to sacrifice their 2026 financial flexibility in any deal that doesn’t net them a player they consider a real needle-mover, Stein writes. Given that two-way wings are some of the most coveted players around the league, there’s no guarantee anyone who meets that criteria will be attainable for L.A. at the deadline.
Rockets Plan To Apply For DPE Over VanVleet’s Injury
The Rockets plan to file for a disabled player exception due to Fred VanVleet‘s knee injury, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports tweets.
If granted, the exception would be worth $12.5MM — 50 percent of VanVleet’s $25MM salary. The DPE allows a team to sign a player up to the value of the exception without using cap space.
The DPE would allow the Rockets to sign a player to a one-year contract, trade for a player in the final year of his contract, or place a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year.
Since the Rockets are right up against a hard cap, the exception wouldn’t help much at this point in the season — they still wouldn’t be able to add a 15th man without shedding salary. However, having that DPE available could give them some additional flexibility later in the season, either in the trade market or in free agency.
Just over a month ago, VanVleet underwent surgery to repair to torn ACL in his right knee. He’s expected to miss the entire season.
VanVleet coincidentally met with the media Monday for the first time since the injury. The veteran guard said he was in top shape prior to injuring his knee during an offseason workout in the Bahamas.
“Just being so excited, and I probably was in the best shape of my life leading up into this season, and just super excited about being out there getting off to a good start,” he told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle and other media members. “So that was that was definitely disheartening to get hurt at that stage before the season.”
VanVleet, the Rockets’ starting point guard the past two seasons, said there’s no timeline for his return.
“No, no timeline,” he said. “Just taking it slow, day-by-day, and it’s definitely like a week-by-week, day-by-day thing. We’ll see where we’re at towards the end of the year.”
VanVleet holds a $25MM option on his contract for next season. He’s aiming to be back and better than ever.
“I’m gonna come back a much better person, player, everything in between,” VanVleet said, per Lerner. “That’s just the way that I approach things, who I am as a person. The nature of the rehab is so slow, like just take so many things for granted, being able to have to learn how to walk again and like baby steps. So to be able to build yourself back up from ground zero, I have no doubt that I’ll come back a more complete, better, player and person.”
Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Thompson, Sheppard, Sengun, Udoka
Less than a month after undergoing surgery on his torn ACL, Rockets guard Fred VanVleet was in attendance at Thursday’s practice in a coaching capacity, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, who have taken on increased ball-handling responsibilities in VanVleet’s absence, expressed appreciation at having the veteran around again.
“It’s already like the old days,” Thompson said. “He’s giving me advice. Just asking him a lot of questions, seeing how he runs the floor.”
Sheppard said VanVleet gave him some instruction on screening angles and slowing down the offense, according to Lerner (Twitter link).
“I’ve said it multiple times, Fred’s been unbelievable to me,” Sheppard said. “I’ve learned so much from him. So just having him back on the court, speaking what he sees and stuff, is really special.”
A team source tells The Houston Chronicle that VanVleet may try to travel with the Rockets on their two-game road trip to Toronto and Boston next week.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- There’s no consensus among rival executives and scouts around the NBA about whether Houston will eventually need to acquire a veteran point guard to fill in for VanVleet or whether the team will be fine with youngsters like Thompson and Sheppard running the show, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. While one source who spoke to Windhorst criticized Sheppard’s defense and said it makes it “tough to play him at times,” another expressed confidence in the former No. 3 overall pick’s ability to handle his new role. “You can focus on what he can’t do, but I’ve followed him since he was a teenager and all he’s done is overcome doubters,” that exec told ESPN. “Just give him time.”
- After making just 21 total three-point shots last season, Alperen Sengun went 5-of-8 from beyond the arc on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City. While it would be a “game-changer” for the Rockets if Sengun establishes himself as a reliable threat from outside, not everyone is convinced that will happen, writes ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. However, opposing evaluators are more willing to buy into the big man’s improved “vision and shot creation,” per Bontemps. “He’s way better than I ever thought he would be, and the thing that’s impressive about him is he’s got a really strong command of the game as far as directing traffic,” one scout said. “He’s thinking the game at a higher level than a lot of his teammates. They know it, and they’re following his lead.”
- Following a rebuilding period, Houston is back to being a desirable destination for players around the NBA, according to Lerner (subscription required), who says the presence of head coach Ime Udoka is one key reason why players want to join the Rockets. “I love it because he’s tough, he’s gonna tell you stuff right away,” said Clint Capela, who returned to Houston as a free agent over the summer. “I feel that that’s what you need. The season is so long, and at the end of the season it’s more mental and toughness to fight through fatigue, to fight through minor injuries … and that type of coach who is very good at motivating guys and talks can actually get you to play harder. That’s what it’s about whenever you get to the postseason.”
Rockets Notes: Capela, Smith, Thompson, Sheppard, Davison
It came as a bit of a surprise in free agency when the Rockets, with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams on multiyear deals in the middle, made a deal to reacquire Clint Capela, who spent the first six years of his NBA career in Houston. But with the Rockets leaning into bigger lineups, they valued the opportunity to bring back Capela, and he reciprocated their interest, suggesting that he had unfinished business in Houston.
“I feel like when I left (Houston in a 2020 trade), it was something that wasn’t done,” Capela said, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “What I’ve missed the most is the fans, the support that I feel about the city. Whenever I left, that’s when I realized how special it was to represent this team in the city and be able to be, really, a real contender. I really missed that, and that’s why I feel that it’s so special to be here with this team.”
After experimenting last season by playing Sengun and Adams alongside one another, head coach Ime Udoka views Capela as a player he can use either as the lone big man in a five-man unit or next to Sengun in a jumbo frontcourt.
“(Capela) is a different player as far as rim protection, lob threat,” Udoka said. “Even probably out of those three (centers), he might switch and move his feet the best. Alpi’s good as well, but all those things. And then, like I said, with Alpi’s versatility, he could play with either of them. Alpi seems to be more aggressive when he has another big guy behind him.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- The Rockets opened their preseason schedule on Monday with a 122-113 victory over Atlanta. Lerner and William Guillory of The Athletic share the key takeaways from that game, including Jabari Smith Jr. looking comfortable in his return to the starting lineup and Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard sharing ball-handling duties evenly when they were on the court together.
- While Thompson and Sheppard figure to be Houston’s primary ball-handlers with Fred VanVleet out due to a torn ACL, two-way player JD Davison did his best on Monday to show he deserves consideration for rotation minutes, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes. Davison had 17 points and four assists in 22 minutes of action, with five made three-pointers. “He’s been great,” Udoka said of the former Celtic. “Very aggressive, handles well, makes good decisions out of the pick and roll. He’s a big body who can pick up full court, so he brings aggression on both sides of the ball. He’s taken advantage of the opportunity.”
- An ESPN panel explores the impact that VanVleet’s injury will have on the Rockets this season, with Kevin Pelton outlining why Houston might actually miss the veteran point guard more on the defensive end of the court, while Bobby Marks explains why the team isn’t in a great position at the moment to trade for or sign a replacement point guard.
Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets
Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.
While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.
Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.
Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
- According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
- Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.
Rockets’ Fred VanVleet Undergoes Surgery For Torn ACL
September 25: VanVleet underwent successful surgery today to repair his ACL tear, reports Iko of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
September 22: Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has sustained a torn ACL, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), VanVleet suffered the right knee injury at an unofficial team mini-camp in the Bahamas. The one-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion will undergo surgery this week, Iko adds.
It’s a devastating blow for both Houston and VanVleet, who re-signed with the Rockets this summer on a two-year, $50MM contract.
VanVleet will earn $25MM each of the next two seasons, with a player option for 2026/27 he seems likely to exercise now that he appears destined to miss the entire ’25/26 campaign with a major knee injury.
VanVleet, 31, has been one of the keys to Houston’s dramatic turnaround. The Rockets went 17-55, 20-62 and 22-60 in the three years before he signed with the team as a free agent in 2023. With VanVleet as the starting point guard, Houston had a 41-41 record in ’23/24, followed by a 52-30 mark last season.
While VanVleet took a minor statistical step back last season in several categories, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 34.5% on three-pointers in 60 regular season games, the Rockets were consistently better when he was on the court (+6.2) than when he was off it (+2.9).
VanVleet also had a strong playoff showing in Houston’s first-round loss to Golden State, averaging 18.7 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.1 RPG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 43.5% from long distance in the seven-game series. When he was on the court in the playoffs, the Rockets had a +3.9 net rating in 280 minutes; in the 56 minutes he didn’t play, their net rating was an abysmal -17.1.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the Rockets will likely apply for a disabled player exception in the wake of VanVleet’s injury. However, they’re hard-capped at the first apron and are currently only $1.25MM below that threshold, meaning they’re not in position to use that DPE to add a 15th man to the roster.
Given their position relative to the hard cap, the Rockets won’t be able to even sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract until January unless they reduce their team salary in a trade.
Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson and Aaron Holiday are among the candidates to receive more minutes and ball-handling duties for Houston in the wake of VanVleet’s unfortunate injury.
Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Sheppard, Thompson, Bostic
While the Rockets could turn to the trade market as they explore ways to replace Fred VanVleet following his ACL tear, half of their roster is currently ineligible to be dealt, and several other players are unlikely to be moved. Free agency also isn’t an option for Houston at the moment — although the Rockets have an open 15th roster spot, they don’t have enough room below their first-apron hard cap to sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract.
Given that context, Houston will likely have to stay in house to replace VanVleet, at least for now. Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) considers the team’s options, suggesting that Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and Aaron Holiday could all take on increased ball-handling responsibilities.
In Lerner’s view, Sheppard has the skill set that’s the closest to VanVleet’s in terms of three-point shooting and play-making. While Thompson is capable of handling the ball, Lerner believes the Rockets want to be able to take advantage of his off-ball movement rather than making him their primary distributor.
Exploring what the Rockets are losing as a result of VanVleet’s injury, Lerner points out that the veteran point guard is an underrated defender and screener who led the team in deflections per game (3.1) last season and had more screen assists per game than any non-center on the roster.
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- According to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), people he has spoken to were already expecting Thompson to have a larger on-ball role even before the VanVleet injury. Chris Mannix of SI.com echoes that sentiment, suggesting that Thompson could get a chance to become Houston’s lead play-maker. As Mannix notes, Thompson recently told SI.com that improving his play-making was a priority this offseason.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic believes the Rockets could be in trouble without VanVleet and questions some of the roster moves the front office made this offseason, such as acquiring Clint Capela. According to Hollinger, the team loaded up on its frontcourt while leaving itself with little cap flexibility or reliable backcourt depth. Still, if there’s a silver lining, it’s the fact that Thompson and Sheppard will get a chance to sink or swim in increased roles, Hollinger writes. If they thrive with those added responsibilities, it would give the Rockets more reasons for optimism going forward.
- Josh Bostic, who has been a player development coach in Houston for the past two seasons, is being promoted to an assistant coach role, reports Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). A longtime professional basketball player in non-NBA leagues, Bostic will presumably be taking the spot formerly occupied by Mike Moser, who accepted a job on David Adelman‘s staff in Denver.
Southwest Notes: FVV, Adams, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Mavs
The Rockets‘ trade for Kevin Durant was clearly the most impactful move of the team’s offseason, but extending Steven Adams and re-signing Fred VanVleet on a more team-friendly deal shouldn’t be overlooked, Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) writes in a preview of the club’s season.
As Lerner points out, both VanVleet and Adams are respected locker-room leaders in addition to providing value on the court and were among Houston’s most effective players in the postseason series vs. Golden State.
After winning 52 games last season, the Rockets appear capable of increasing that number in 2025/26, perhaps to the 55-win range, Lerner writes. However, winning in the playoffs will be the ultimate barometer of success in Houston this season — the team hasn’t won a postseason series since 2020.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- In addition to previewing Houston’s 2025/26 campaign, Lerner spoke to beat writers for other Southwest teams within the past week to get a sense of their outlooks for the coming season. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media (Chronicle subscriber link) believes the Grizzlies are capable of competing for a top-six seed in the West after trading away Desmond Bane; Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com (subscriber link) thinks the Pelicans will exceed expectations after having widely been projected as the No. 14 team in the conference; and Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com (subscriber link) forecasts a 48-34 regular season and a playoff berth for the Mavericks.
- While the Mavericks‘ new four-year, $89MM extension with P.J. Washington looks relatively team-friendly in a vacuum, it’s unclear how much sense it makes for Dallas, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link), who points to a crowded frontcourt and the team’s increasingly pricey roster going forward as ways the deal could backfire.
- The Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights for guard Evan Gilyard from the Raptors 905 in exchange for a 2025 NBAGL first-round pick, according to an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Gilyard, who averaged 12.3 points and 5.4 assists per game during the 2024/25 G League regular season for Toronto’s affiliate, is now a candidate to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis if the team wants to pay him more than the standard NBAGL salary.