Jock Landale Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers’ Toppin Out At Least One Month, Mathurin Week To Week

October 28th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of key Pacers rotation players will be unavailable for the foreseeable future, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, who said on Tuesday that forward Obi Toppin will be out for at least one month as a result of his right hamstring strain, while guard Bennedict Mathurin is considered “week to week” due to a right great toe sprain, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

The Pacers entered their opener last week preparing to be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season as he recovers from an Achilles tear and have since added several new names to their injury report.

Toppin sustained his injury during Sunday’s loss in Minnesota, while Mathurin’s occurred in Saturday’s loss in Memphis when he tripped over Jock Landale‘s foot on his way to the basket. According to Carlisle, both players will undergo more testing when the Pacers return home following the last game of their road trip on Wednesday in Dallas.

“I can’t give you a definitive answer with either guy,” Carlisle said. “But they’re gonna miss some time.”

According to Carlisle, Andrew Nembhard (left shoulder strain) did some “court work” on Tuesday but isn’t ready to play yet, while Taelon Peter (right groin strain) is “doing better” but is “not there yet” either. Johnny Furphy (left foot soreness) will undergo additional testing on his foot when the team returns to Indianapolis, Carlisle added.

T.J. McConnell (left hamstring strain) and Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction) were doing some work near the end of Tuesday’s practice, tweets Dopirak, though the Pacers have previously indicated that both players will be out until at least November 9.

With injuries hitting the team hard at virtually every position except center, the Pacers made a roster move on Tuesday, waiving big man James Wiseman to add guard Mac McClung. As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets, Indiana should soon qualify for at least one hardship exception as well.

A hardship exception allows a team to temporarily exceed the standard 15-man roster limit if at least four players have missed three consecutive games for health reasons and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. Players signed via the hardship exception receive 10-day contracts.

Grizzlies Announce Injury Updates On Clarke, Edey, Jackson

September 26th, 2025 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to address synovitis in his right knee, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

Clarke’s 2024/25 season was cut short in March when he suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee.

While that injury has fully healed, per the Grizzlies, he experienced synovitis — inflammation that affects the synovial membranes in joints — during recent training sessions. Memphis says it will provide a return timeline after the procedure, but Clarke is expected to make a full recovery.

Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news, hears that Clarke is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks, which is when he will be reevaluated (Twitter link).

It’s another unfortunate setback for Clarke, who has been plagued by various injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of ’23/24.

In the same press release, the Grizzlies also provided injury updates on center Zach Edey and forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are recovering from offseason surgeries.

Edey, who underwent left ankle surgery in June, has been cleared to ramp up basketball activities. However, he remains several weeks away from returning, as he is expected to make his season debut in six-to-nine weeks.

If Edey is ready to play in six weeks, he would be back in early November. The more conservative end of that time frame would see the former Purdue star return around the end of that month.

Jackson, who had surgery in July to repair a turf toe issue, will also begin ramping up his on-court activities. He’s expected to return in four-to-six weeks, which means he could miss a little bit of time to open ’25/26.

On a more positive note, first-round pick Cedric Coward will be a full training camp participant after recovering from a left shoulder injury he sustained last year at Washington State.

With Clarke, Edey and Jackson likely to miss the start of the season, Memphis’ frontcourt depth will be tested early on. Santi Aldama and Jock Landale are among the players who could receive more playing time in their stead.

Grizzlies Officially Sign Jock Landale

July 15th, 2025 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have officially completed their reported deal with center Jock Landale, announcing the signing on Tuesday in a press release (Twitter link).

Word broke on July 5 that Landale had agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Memphis after being waived by the division-rival Rockets. The Grizzlies reached a deal with the free agent big man right around the same time they agreed to trade another center Jay Huff, to Indiana.

Landale was signed by Houston in 2023 to a four-year, $32MM contract that included just one fully guaranteed season. However, the Rockets – who were operating well below the luxury tax line last season, hung onto him for the second year of the deal in 2024/25, even though he played a limited role for the team behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the frontcourt.

The 29-year-old Australian averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 outings (three starts) in ’24/25. He had played a similar role a year earlier, with averages of 4.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 13.6 MPG (56 appearances).

Landale will provide depth in a Grizzlies frontcourt that could be missing both Jaren Jackson Jr. (turf toe surgery) and Zach Edey (ankle surgery) when training camps open in the fall. Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama are among the club’s other options up front.

Landale’s minimum-salary contract will pay him $2,461,463, while Memphis carries a cap hit of $2,296,274.

Grizzlies To Sign Jock Landale, Trade Jay Huff To Pacers

July 5th, 2025 at 4:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 6: The Huff trade is official, according to the Grizzlies (Twitter link).

July 5: Free agent center Jock Landale has reached a contract agreement with the Grizzlies, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Memphis will make room on its roster by sending Jay Huff to the Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap, Charania adds (Twitter link).

Landale was waived by the Rockets on Thursday before his $8MM salary for the upcoming season became guaranteed. He was expected to be on the move on after Houston agreed to sign Clint Capela in free agency, adding to its center depth along with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.

The 29-year-old big man signed a four-year, $32MM contract with the Rockets in 2023 that contained just one fully guaranteed season. He appeared in 42 games this year, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per night.

Landale’s new contract with Memphis will cover one year at the veteran’s minimum, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). He will provide another option for Memphis in light of Zach Edey‘s uncertain status after undergoing ankle surgery in June.

Indiana was able to pick up an additional big man in Huff after losing Myles Turner to Milwaukee earlier this week. The Pacers will be the fifth team in five years for the 26-year-old center, who is coming off his best NBA season. He appeared in 64 games for Memphis, averaging 6.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per night while shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.

Huff will make $2.4MM and $2.7MM over the next two seasons, and his contract includes a $3MM player option for 2027/28.

The draft choice headed to Memphis will be a 2029 second-rounder that originally belonged to Portland, while the option for the second-round pick swap will take place in 2031, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Rockets Waiving Jock Landale

July 3rd, 2025 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets will waive center Jock Landale before his $8MM salary for the 2025/26 season becomes guaranteed, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Charania adds that Landale will sign with his “preferred destination” after clearing waivers, while Kelly Iko of The Athletic says (via Twitter) a number of teams have expressed interest in him.

Landale was signed by Houston in 2023 to a four-year, $32MM contract that included just one fully guaranteed season. However, the Rockets – who were operating well below the luxury tax line, hung onto him for the second year of the deal in 2024/25, even though he played a limited role for the team behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the frontcourt.

The 29-year-old averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 outings (three starts) this past season.

With Sengun and Adams returning and Clint Capela joining the frontcourt mix, there was no place in the rotation going forward for Landale, and his $8MM annual salary is no longer palatable for the Rockets to carry with the roster getting more expensive. His release had been expected, even after he and the team reached an agreement over the weekend to push his salary guarantee date back to July 7.

Rockets, Jock Landale Push Back Salary Guarantee Date

June 29th, 2025 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets and big man Jock Landale have agreed to push back the salary guarantee date on his contract for 2025/26, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Landale’s $8MM non-guaranteed salary for next season was originally set to become fully guaranteed if he had remained under contract through Sunday. The two sides reached an agreement to move that date to next Monday, July 7, per Katz.

The extra eight days will give the Rockets more time to assess whether or not it makes sense to keep Landale on their books for next season.

Houston reportedly intends to re-sign free agents Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, and Jeff Green, and the team could remain out of luxury tax territory while keeping Landale if all three of those players get minimum-salary deals. However, if one or more get more than the minimum or if the Rockets want to be able to go shopping in free agency with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Landale might become a cap casualty.

The 29-year-old played a limited role for the Rockets this past season, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 outings (three starts). He would likely be the club’s third-string center again if he returns, with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams ahead of him on the depth chart, but his $8MM salary could potentially be useful for salary-matching purposes in a trade.

Landale’s contract also includes a non-guaranteed team option for 2026/27.

Latest On Kevin Durant Trade

June 23rd, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant had reason to believe that a trade was close before news broke Sunday that he was headed to the Rockets, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. Durant was in the midst of an interview with reporter Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest in New York City when audience members saw the first reports of the deal on their phones (Twitter video link).

“I had an idea (about the trade), but I didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen,” Durant said. “You know, when people can just hang your career in the balance like that and then just choose what they want to do with your career, it’s a nerve-wracking feeling but being able to kind of dictate what you want to do and being with a team that values you, I’m looking forward to it.”

Durant is being counted on to bring much-needed scoring punch to Houston and turn the team into a legitimate title contender. The Rockets won 52 games and claimed the second seed in the West this season, but their inability to generate half-court offense was exposed in a first-round loss to Golden State.

Houston was among three teams on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots, and he admitted to Adams that he played a role in determining where he ended up.

“Most definitely, yeah,” he said. “(The Suns) asked me where I wanted to go, some of my destinations. I gave it to them and here we are.”

Durant is looking forward to a new start after a disappointing two-plus seasons in Phoenix. There was hope that he could take the Suns back to the NBA Finals after being acquired from Brooklyn at the 2023 trade deadline, but they only won a single playoff series during his time there and fell short of the play-in tournament this season.

Durant countered Adams’ suggestion that “there’s a lot of heartbroken Suns fans.”

“I doubt that,” Durant said. “They wanted me to go so I’m glad they got what they wanted and I got what I wanted. We can move on, good luck to them going forward, and I’ll always remember my time there.”

There’s more on the Durant deal:

The trade that was reported Sunday could get “much larger” before it becomes official on July 6, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. He notes that the Suns have nearly two weeks to negotiate deals with other teams involving Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or any of the draft assets they’re getting from Houston. Meanwhile, the Rockets could pick up their $4.9MM option on Aaron Holiday and guarantee Jock Landale‘s $8MM deal for next season to help match salaries while adding another player from a third team. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan also believes there’s a “strong chance” the deal will be expanded to include more teams (Twitter link).
The Suns may have considered the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft to be more valuable than the 2027 and 2029 Phoenix picks that Houston also holds, Hollinger adds. The Suns are looking for immediate help, and Hollinger notes that finding a contributor in the draft would take away some of the worst-case scenarios they might be facing. Phoenix may also put more stock in having a guaranteed lottery pick right now than a possible high selection later on. Hollinger also points out that keeping the Suns’ future picks frees up the Rockets to move their own first-rounders in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 if the chance arises to land another major star.
The Spurs had been considered among the favorites to trade for Durant and were one of the teams on his list, but they never made an offer, according to Phoenix sports talk show host John Gambadoro (Twitter link).
Handing out grades for the deal, ESPN’S NBA insiders give the Rockets a B+ and the Suns a B.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Offense, Green, Sengun, Landale

April 28th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM club option on Fred VanVleet‘s contract for next season. The veteran guard hasn’t done himself any favors in the playoff series against Golden State. In the first three games, VanVleet made only 26.8% of his shots (11-of-41), including 20.7% of his three-pointers (6-of-29), while averaging 11.3 points and four assists in 41 minutes per game, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out. Game 4 is tonight.

“There’s times and places where I have to play better, I have to make shots at a higher clip,” VanVleet said. “I have to find rhythm and find ways to be more aggressive. But obviously, if I’m getting two on the ball at 28, 30 feet, I feel like I’ve done my job for that possession. If I can draw a mismatch and I can draw a best defender, there’s opportunity for other guys, I feel like I’ve done my job on that possession. So, it’s different ways to attack. I have to be better, 1,000%, and if I make two more shots we probably win Game 1. If I make a couple more (Saturday), we probably get out of here with a win, so that’s totally on me, for sure.”

We have more on the Rockets:

The Game 3 loss to Golden State, in which the Warriors survived the absence of Jimmy Butler, showed that the Rockets probably need an offensive star to be true contenders, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Houston, which was held to 85 points in Game 1, was limited to 93 points in Game 3. If the Rockets decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Jalen Green — who signed a three-year, $106MM extension in October — is widely expected to be part of the deal, according to Amick.
Houston needs to do a better job of holding down the Warriors’ role players, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II combined for 33 points on 7-of-14 three-point attempts in Game 3. The Rockets also need Alperen Şengun to deliver in clutch moments. The center shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only one of six free throw attempts in Game 3.
Backup big Jock Landale, who has yet to play in the series, is listed as probable for Game 4, Lerner tweets. Landale has been recovering from a knee contusion.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Mavs, Rockets, Fox

February 7th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Star big man Anthony Davis is on track to return from his abdominal strain and make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, having been officially listed as probable to play in Dallas vs. the Rockets.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, it’s expected to be a charged environment in Dallas, where a protest is planned from fans angry about the decision to trade away franchise player Luka Doncic. Davis said on Friday that he “can’t control” how fans will react, but that he understands why they’re upset about the trade.

“Obviously it’s a business, and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city,” Davis said. “I’m never going to downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.

“…I understand who Luka is and what he’s able to do and what he’s already done for our game. He’s a phenomenal player, going to be one of the best to ever play the game of basketball. But to have Nico trade for me just shows his belief in me and what I can do on the floor. It’s my job to produce every night and have Mavs nation believe that as well. So I’m excited for the challenge.”

While it’s no surprise that some Mavs fans have handled news of the Doncic/Davis trade poorly, “lines have been crossed,” according to MacMahon, who said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link) that Harrison has received threats and faced racial epithets.

Sources tell MacMahon that the team has beefed up security for Saturday’s contest and that Harrison – who has employed his own personal security – won’t be in his usual seat for the game.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that he envisions a starting lineup that features P.J. Washington at small forward and Davis at power forward alongside a center (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). When Dereck Lively is healthy, he may be the team’s starting five, but until then, Daniel Gafford will likely get that assignment. Washington, who has missed the past three games due to right knee soreness and personal reasons, is off the injury report and should be available on Saturday.
Rockets officials expressed for months leading up to Thursday’s deadline that they planned to stick with their current roster making than making any major in-season deals and they stuck to that plan this week, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Reports have suggested Houston wants to see how its young core performs in the postseason before making any major roster decisions — head coach Ime Udoka reiterated that point on Thursday. “We like what we have,” Udoka said. “We’ve been doing OK and feel we can do a lot better. (We) want to continue to grow as a group, watch our young guys develop, play in big situations and see what we have.”
Citing team and league sources, Iko reports that the Rockets received calls this week on Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, Aaron Holiday, and Steven Adams, all of whom are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts. However, Houston didn’t feel compelled to make any move that would compromise the team’s depth, according to Iko, who says Tate generated the most interest of those four players.
De’Aaron Fox‘s 24-point, 13-assist Spurs debut on Wednesday in a tight win over Atlanta provided a compelling case for the star guard’s fit in San Antonio, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “Selfishly, as a coach, I think that’s probably about as complete of a game you’d hope for the first game,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You saw the potential. It’s tantalizing. He’s dynamic. He’s going to unlock a whole different element for our team.”

Rockets Notes: Sengun, Adams, Green, Trades

October 9th, 2024 at 5:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets centers Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams could join forces to serve as one of the NBA’s top center tandems in 2024/25, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Backup big man Jock Landale may also compete for minutes at the five, but as long as Sengun and Adams stay healthy, it seems likely that either the rising star or the longtime starter will be on the court most of the time.

“We’re pretty bloody solid,” Adams said. “The boys here are pretty good. That’s more on paper. We haven’t played a game. It doesn’t matter how it looks on paper. Whoever is the most connected is going to be the most deep team.”

As Feigen notes, the Rockets as a franchise have a long history of Hall of Fame big men to their credit. Feigen notes that Sengun was approaching possible All-Star status during his 2023/24 breakthrough season and has room to get better this year.

There’s more out of Houston:

Suiting up for his first game in almost seven months, Sengun displayed the kind of growth Houston insiders and fans have no doubt been hoping for, writes Feigen in a separate story. Sengun appears to have added catch-and-shoot triples to his arsenal. During the team’s 122-113 preseason defeat against the Jazz, he showed off a speed and activity level heretofore unseen in his play, Feigen observes.
Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green thrived last year after Sengun went down in March with an ankle injury. Feigen writes in another article for The Chronicle that Houston believes his late-season surge is sustainable over the long run. Green credits film sessions with Rockets coaches, which kicked off last December, for helping him realize how to hone his game best. “I think it will make it a lot easier to pick up where I left off,” Green said. “It’s more about what I have do: play defense, rebound. Like I’ve been saying, being able to contribute to the team besides just scoring.”
The Rockets boast plenty of young assets, future draft picks, and veterans on solid-but-movable contracts. Houston could be the league’s most intriguing trade team this season, opines Michael Pina of The Ringer. Pina notes that the Rockets could go in any number of directions — they may look to package some young pieces for a franchise-changing deal or could swap out some veterans for more youth and draft equity.