Rockets Rumors: Adams, Lopez, VanVleet, Holiday, Durant, More
A handful of Rockets veterans, including Steven Adams, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate, are headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Of those UFAs, Adams is viewed as the team’s “clear priority,” sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Green and/or Tate won’t be back, but they may be minimum-salary options for Houston, whereas it will almost certainly take more than that to re-sign Adams, who became an important part of the club’s rotation late in the season. The Rockets are operating under the assumption that the veteran center wants to return, Iko writes, and are expected to continue talking to him about a new contract.
Adams is extension-eligible now and could be signed to a new deal prior to free agency, but if the two sides can’t work something out, Houston may circle back to Brook Lopez, team sources tell Iko. Lopez was a top Rockets target during the 2023 free agent period and came close to making the move to Houston at that time before deciding to remain in Milwaukee.
The Rockets also hold team options for 2025/26 on a pair of guards: Fred VanVleet ($44.9MM) and Aaron Holiday ($4.9MM). The expectation is that VanVleet will return to Houston, either on his team option or on a new contract, Iko writes. The Rockets are also interested in retaining Holiday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his option will be picked up — the club may wait to get a better sense of how its offseason and the league-wide market are playing out before making a decision on the reserve guard, Iko explains.
Here’s more from Iko on the Rockets:
- While Houston would like to keep its young core together, the team is willing to consider the possibility of a significant trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered a top target, though it remains to be seen whether the Bucks will actually make him available, Iko writes. The Suns, conversely, have made multiple calls to the Rockets since the end of the season about the possibility of a deal that sends Kevin Durant to Houston and sends some of the Suns’ draft assets back to Phoenix, team sources tell The Athletic. The asking price for Durant has been “gradually lowered” over the course of those calls, according to Iko, who says the Rockets would be interested if the price is modest enough, despite their desire to keep their core intact.
- The Rockets also anticipate having trade conversations with the Celtics‘ front office this summer, given Boston’s reported desire to reduce its payroll, says Iko.
- The expectation is that Reed Sheppard will have a “vastly expanded role” in 2025/26 after playing sparingly as a rookie, Iko reports. The Rockets remain very high on last year’s No. 3 overall pick, viewing him as a player whose floor-spacing abilities can help in the short term and whose long-term ceiling is high.
- Houston has received inquiries from rivals about former first-rounder Cam Whitmore, as well as this year’s No. 10 overall pick, per Iko. The Rockets remain optimistic about Whitmore’s outlook and potential rotation role, and neither he nor his representatives have asked for a change of scenery, so nothing is imminent on that front, Iko reports. As for this year’s lottery pick, Houston is open to discussing a variety of scenarios, including trading down, trading out of the first round, or packaging that pick with a player to upgrade the roster.
- Although the Rockets’ front office is expected to engage in rookie scale extension negotiations with Jabari Smith and Tari Eason this offseason, team sources tell Iko that the club would be comfortable with the idea of matching an offer sheet for either player in 2026 if no agreements are reached this year.
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.
Rockets’ Udoka To Consider Lineup Change For Game 5
With a second straight loss in Golden State on Monday, the Rockets fell behind 3-1 in their series vs. the Warriors and will head back home facing their first elimination game of the postseason on Wednesday.
Asked after Monday’s defeat whether he’ll roll with the same starting lineup he has used in the first four games of the series, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he intends to “take a look at everything” for Game 5, adding that the starters’ poor start to the third quarter stood out in Game 4.
Houston’s starting five of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun had been a +12 in 44 minutes of action through the first three games of the series, but was outscored by 13 points in 12 minutes on Monday. That included a 10-0 run by the Warriors at the start of the second half, which turned a seven-point Houston lead into a three-point deficit.
If Udoka does decide to make a change, it could involve Green, who was subbed out for Tari Eason just three minutes into the third quarter and has been ineffective against the Warriors’ defense for much of the series. Green went off for 38 points in Houston’s Game 2 win, but has made just 10-of-34 shots from the floor (29.4%) in the three losses and hasn’t reached double-digit points in any of those games. He attempted eight shots in a series-low 25 minutes on Monday.
Meanwhile, even though Sengun led the Rockets with 31 points, he missed 16 field goal attempts and three free throws as his shooting struggles from Game 3 carried over to Game 4. Converting at the foul line was an issue for the Rockets as a whole — they went to the line 31 times on the night, compared to 22 times for the Warriors, but made fewer free throws (19) than Golden State (20).
The Rockets’ 12 missed free throws represented the most in a single game by a team in this year’s playoffs, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, which is likely one reason why Udoka spoke during his post-game media session about the need for “consistency.” Houston also committed 27 turnovers in the last two games, compared to 18 for the Warriors.
“Guys are down, but they understand that the game we played well — the one game out of four (Game 2) – we had a blowout win and other games, it’s been a one-possession game, or we’ve had a fourth quarter lead and not played well,” Udoka said. “Consistency wins in this series, and we’ve talked about that from Day 1. We have to be more consistent across the board.”
The Rockets’ players echoed their head coach’s message after the game, with Sengun expressing a need to be more “disciplined” and VanVleet noting that the Rockets have to keep their composure and execute in crunch time.
“These (last two) games suck,” VanVleet said, per Wright. “We had two (games) that could have went our way. This is the playoffs. The margin of error is so slim they can go either way. And you learn that it comes down to possessions. Possessions are so important.”
Southwest Notes: Eason, Aldama, B. Brown, Mavericks
Tari Eason offered the Rockets a reminder of his importance when he erupted for a career-high 30 points in Friday’s blowout victory over Dallas, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Eason, who shot 11-of-15 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul line, also recorded eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes.
“I think that every night Tari plays, he’s super impactful,” Jalen Green said. “Getting steals, playing defense. Tonight he did a little bit of everything: scoring, rebounding, playing defense. So nothing that he doesn’t do every time out for us.”
Lerner notes that Eason has been starting for most of the past six weeks due to injuries to Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson. Eason, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason, has increased his production over that span, averaging 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks on .520/.380/.895 shooting over his past 13 games (29.1 MPG)
“His effort and intensity is always there,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Just continues to grow as a player. Also liked when some guys got going, (Spencer) Dinwiddie, got to put (Eason) on him and slowed him down some. And yeah, did what he does at both ends.”
Here are a few more notes from the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama is posting career-best averages of 12.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.8 APG ahead of restricted free agency this summer. In an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda, the Spanish big man said he has worked to add muscle to his frame and credited the team’s offensive system — and his own improvement — for his output thus far in 2024/25. “The way that we move the ball, just getting more opportunities to actually make some plays,” Aldama told Afseth. “I think that’s, that’s been big, and I think the natural growth. I’m still super young, so I feel like every year, I’m just getting better.”
- Veteran swingman Bruce Brown has struggled mightily since he was traded to the Pelicans ahead of last month’s deadline, but he had a solid performance in Tuesday’s victory over the Clippers, notching 12 points, five rebounds and five assists (no turnovers). “It was good,” Brown said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “As you all know, I’ve been struggling with the transition. So for my confidence, this helps a lot. Still, I’m learning. I’ve got to keep going. Being aggressive and making my shots. I think that’s the biggest key for me — making my shots and continuing to put my work in.” Brown, who will be an unrestricted free agent in a few months, is shooting just 32.4% from the floor in 12 games with New Orleans, including 16.7% from long distance.
- Due to the shocking trade of Luka Doncic and the ensuing tidal wave of injuries, most notably losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavericks hold the top spot on Zach Harper of The Athletic‘s “Misery Index.” The injury-ravaged Pelicans also make an appearance, coming in at fourth on the five-team list.
Southwest Notes: Morant, VanVleet, Rockets, Brown, Martin
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been fined $25K by the NBA for throwing a game ball into the spectator stands at the end of the third quarter of Friday’s one-point loss to New York, the league announced in a press release.
Morant made some poor off-court decisions earlier in his career, which resulted in a pair of suspensions (including a 25-gamer) in 2023. However, he has largely stayed out of trouble since — this is the first time he has been publicly fined in 2024/25, though he has been docked $24K for accruing 11 technical fouls this season, per Spotrac.
A two-time All-Star, Morant missed Saturday’s loss to San Antonio due to right shoulder soreness and is questionable for Monday’s game vs. Atlanta with the same injury designation, according to the NBA’s official injury report.
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Saturday’s loss to Sacramento marked Fred VanVleet‘s first game back with the Rockets following a month-long absence due to a right ankle strain. Unfortunately, he aggravated the ankle on the first play of the game when he stepped on a referee’s foot, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The veteran guard stayed in the game and wound up playing 35 minutes, but his effectiveness was limited, as he finished with just three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 35 minutes (he also chipped in five rebounds, five assists and three steals). “I’ve been sitting long enough,” VanVleet said. “I had the training staff look at it, make sure it was nothing super serious, talked with coach a little bit. Obviously he noticed I wasn’t moving the best, so I was just trusting him at that point. If he decided to pull me I would’ve came out, but I wasn’t gonna take myself out the game. I’ll never do that.”
- As Lerner relays in another story, VanVleet has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Oklahoma City. Five other Rockets — Steven Adams (sore left ankle), Dillon Brooks (right knee contusion), Tari Eason (left leg injury management), Alperen Sengun (sore lower back) and Amen Thompson (right shoulder soreness) — are questionable for Monday’s game, which is the front end of a back-to-back.
- After playing a limited role in his first three games with the Mavericks, center Moses Brown provided a major lift in the final two contests of his 10-day contract, including recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 31 minutes during a victory over Charlotte last week. Brown’s contract expired Saturday night and the Mavs can’t re-sign him or anyone else until April 10 due to their hard cap situation. “He was great,” head coach Jason Kidd said of Brown, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “Moses gave us a spark, gave us a big (presence) at the rim. We needed someone at the rim, and he did a really good job for us. He’ll probably get another 10-day from someone. And give him credit for coming out as a pro and helping us find a way to win.”
- Caleb Martin has yet to make his Mavericks debut after being acquired at the trade deadline, but he has been able to go through contract practices in recent days and sounds close to returning from the right hip strain that has kept him out on the shelf since January 10, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s doing extremely well,” Kidd said of Martin. “There are a lot of positive things around him right now. He’s trending in the right direction. Hopefully here in the next couple of days, we have some really good news. His rehab sessions have been going really good and he hasn’t had any setbacks. With the playing that he’s had here, hopefully he’s back sooner than later.”
Western Notes: Smith, Thybulle, Kuminga, Nuggets, Suns
As expected, Rockets forward Jabari Smith returned to action on Friday vs. Minnesota in the team’s first game after the All-Star break. Smith had been out since January 1 due to a fractured hand.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Smith had started each of his first 188 NBA regular season games, but he came off the bench on Friday for the first time in his professional career. As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes, head coach Ime Udoka explained before the contest that he wanted to take advantage of having Tari Eason available on the first end of a back-to-back and didn’t want to throw Smith into the deep end in his first game action in over seven weeks.
“Tari (is) coming off some really good games and getting him to the minutes where we want him to be,” Udoka said. “But it was just a little bit everything. I think easing (Smith) back into it a little bit, not really conditioning-wise, but you see how he looks in this game and everything’s kind of open moving forward.”
While Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks made up Houston’s starting five on Friday, Udoka will have some decisions to make once Smith has gotten back to full speed and Fred VanVleet returns from his right ankle injury. The Rockets’ coach said that he hasn’t yet decided what his starting lineup will look like when everyone’s healthy, according to Lerner.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Western Conference:
- Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle, who has yet to play this season due to knee and ankle injuries, has started doing some light 3-on-3 contact work, but hasn’t yet been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages, according to head coach Chauncey Billups (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). Billups indicated that he isn’t sure how far away Thybulle is from making his season debut.
- The Warriors provided an update on Jonathan Kuminga‘s recovery from his right ankle sprain this week, announcing (via Twitter) that he returned to practice on Wednesday. Kuminga has been sidelined since January 4 and head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that he expected the forward to miss the “first few” games after the All-Star break.
- According to reporting from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops), the Nuggets are hiring former Serbian guard Nenad Miljenovic. It’s unclear what sort of role Miljenovic will have in the organization – Eurohoops refers to it as a “front office’ position – but he has a clear connection to Denver’s franchise player, having spent two years as Nikola Jokic‘s teammate with Mega Basket in Serbia from 2013-15.
- In their first game after the All-Star break, the Suns made many of the same mistakes that resulted in six losses in seven games ahead of the break, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Star forward Kevin Durant showed some frustration in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to San Antonio – Phoenix’s fourth in a row — with the Suns’ defense struggling to get stops, barking at head coach Mike Budenholzer, “You need somebody who can guard,” according to Rankin.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Murray, Eason, Rockets
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who was ruled out for the team’s game in San Antonio on Friday night due to right foot soreness, is no longer eligible for major award consideration this season, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Morant has averaged 21.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per contest this season for the Grizzlies, who rank third in the Western Conference standings, but Friday’s game will be the 18th he has missed this season. That means he’ll fall short of the 65-game threshold required to qualify for end-of-season awards, including All-NBA.
Morant made the All-NBA Second Team in 2022, but a suspension related to his off-court behavior derailed his chances of repeating the feat in 2023, and he appeared in just nine games last season due to a second suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Dejounte Murray‘s 30-point performance on Wednesday in a victory over Dallas was a reminder of why the Pelicans targeted him and gave up a pair of first-round picks – along with former lottery selection Dyson Daniels and rotation big man Larry Nance Jr. – to acquire him last offseason, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. It has been a challenging year so far for Murray, one of many key Pelicans players who has missed time due to an injury — he broke his hand on opening night and the team was 4-14 by the time he returned. “I’m trying to get my fun back,” Murray said. “It’s nothing with the team. Just dealing with a lot. It’s been tough for me. I’m a strong person, but at the same time I’m human. I think sometimes I can forget that.”
- Although they didn’t get the win, the Rockets got a boost on Thursday as forward Tari Eason played for the first time in over a month after missing 13 games due to a lower left leg injury, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Eason was on a minutes restriction of 20-to-25 minutes, per head coach Ime Udoka. He ended up playing 24 minutes and didn’t miss a beat in his return, scoring 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
- Kelly Iko and John Hollinger of The Athletic explore some possible trade options for the Rockets, discussing why Jimmy Butler probably doesn’t make sense for Houston and considering whether De’Aaron Fox would be a fit if Sacramento made him available. While a significant in-season move seems unlikely, Hollinger points to Malcolm Brogdon or Chris Boucher as players on expiring deals who might make some sense as deadline targets for the Rockets.
Rockets Notes: Thompson, Eason, Whitmore, VanVleet
Amen Thompson‘s value to the Rockets goes beyond his statistics and his intense defensive presence, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Thompson is officially listed as a small forward, but he seems to fit in well wherever the team needs him. He replaced Dillon Brooks in the starting lineup in Monday’s win at Charlotte, and Feigen points out that he also filled in when center Alperen Sengun was injured last season and when point guard Fred VanVleet has missed time.
“He can play every position on the court,” VanVleet said. “He’s a Swiss Army knife. He can play one through five. He can screen-and-roll. He’s shooting the three now. He can score. He can guard. He’s just a plug-able guy. You can put him anywhere on the court and be successful. He stepped right in for D.B. and we didn’t lose a step.”
Outside shooting was the main concern about Thompson heading into the 2023 draft, but he shown some progress in that area, improving from 13.8% from beyond the arc as a rookie to 29.7% so far this season. The rest of his game is solid and he has been especially effective as a starter, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds while shooting 53.3% from the floor in the three games he has started this year. Feigen notes that the Rockets are scoring 127 points per 100 possessions with him in that role, which would give them the most productive offense in the league.
“You can put him on a bunch of different people, switched and made it tough on (LaMelo) Ball early,” coach Ime Udoka said. “I think it was a whole team effort when you hold a team to 31 in the first half. Amen kind of spearheaded that. On both sides of the ball. He can guard one through five. We’re comfortable with that. Then, offensively, he’s played on ball at times as a backup point guard, or on the wing, and at the four last year. We can plug him into all those situations on both sides. It’s a luxury for sure.”
There’s more from Houston:
- Tari Eason has missed three straight games due to left lower leg injury management, but the Rockets don’t believe it’s a long-term concern, Feigen adds in a separate story. Eason is a valuable member of the bench unit, leading all NBA reserves in steals and ranking fourth in blocks. “He had some soreness come up in the same leg,” Udoka said. “So, just wanted to give him some days. Obviously, we had the time off (after) the in-season tournament. I think at times, being a little bit stagnant is worse than actually playing, and it stiffened up a little bit.”
- Cam Whitmore wasn’t discouraged after being sent to the G League early in the season, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The second-year forward has been getting an opportunity with the Rockets since being recalled recently, scoring 11 points in 14 minutes on Sunday and 17 points in 27 minutes on Monday. “To go kill ’em,” he said of his approach to the G League. “Whatever’s in front of me, I’m gonna be lights out. I’m on assignment, so I’m just gonna go down there, I’m gonna keep grinding every day, keep getting better — better human being and a better basketball player.”
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic examines VanVleet’s prolonged shooting slump to determine why the veteran guard has been missing shots that he typically makes. A career 37.5% three-point shooter entering this season, VanVleet has connected on just 29.8% of his tries from beyond the arc through 27 games.
Injury Updates: Clingan, P. Williams, Rockets, Pacers
Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick of June’s draft, has been cleared for on-court workouts as he ramps up toward a return, according to the Trail Blazers, who announced (via Twitter) that the rookie center is day-to-day going forward.
Clingan has been sidelined for the past seven games after sustaining a sprained MCL in his left knee. The former UConn big man, who won back-to-back national championships with the Huskies, was off to an impressive start to his professional career prior to the injury, averaging 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game in his first 17 appearances.
Clingan nearing a return is welcome news for the Blazers, who have lost six of their past seven games, including four straight. He’s not the only reserve big man who has been out lately, as Robert Williams has missed the past six games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol. Duop Reath, another backup center, also missed Sunday’s loss with back soreness.
According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), head coach Chauncey Billups said Clingan was able to do “pretty much everything” during Tuesday’s practice. Billups is optimistic that Clingan will be able to return for Friday’s matchup vs. San Antonio, Highkin adds.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, was a full participant in Tuesday’s non-contact practice and is slated to participate in tomorrow’s “contact, scrimmage-filled practice,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). “It’s been tough. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I played,” Williams said, according to Johnson (Twitter link). Head coach Billy Donovan said last week that there was a chance Williams could return at some point this week — Chicago’s next game is Friday vs. Charlotte.
- The Rockets will get a couple of key reinforcements back for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against Golden State, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Point guard Fred VanVleet said he’ll return to action after missing Sunday’s game with a right knee injury, and third-year forward Tari Eason has cleared the league’s concussion protocol following a two-game absence.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently provided updates on injured wings Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter). Nesmith, who has been out since Nov. 1 due to a left ankle sprain, is still “weeks away” from returning, while Sheppard, who has been sidelined since Nov. 17 due to an oblique injury, is closer to playing.
Rockets Notes: Green, Thompson, Sengun, NBA Cup, VanVleet, Eason
The Rockets didn’t commit a turnover in the final 20 minutes of their win over the Clippers on Sunday despite the absence of Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from a right knee injury.
It was a very encouraging sign for coach Ime Udoka, who leaned on Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun to organize the offense, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
“He’s such a calming influence for the team, that kind of gets us into what we need to a lot,” Udoka said of VanVleet. “We still want guys to grow and learn that. So when he’s not out there, it’s good for us to do it a little bit more. We went to a few different guys to initiate offense.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- Houston will face the Warriors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday. It’s possible that VanVleet could return to action for the tournament game. Forward Tari Eason, who has missed the last two games while in concussion protocol, could also return Wednesday, according to Feigen.
- Thompson already sees himself as a top-notch defender in his second NBA season, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders. Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense,” he said.
- Udoka made several stops in Europe during his playing career. He has some “overseas” advice for Turkish native Sengun, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. “My biggest thing with him is, I say to him, ‘Don’t get the European out of your game. Play through stuff. Stop crying,’” Udoka said.