The Rockets have been offering Francisco Garcia to other teams in trade talks of late, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who passes along the news amid his weekly power rankings. Rumors about Garcia have been virtually non-existent since he re-signed with Houston in August to a two-year deal for the minimum salary, so this appears to represent a change in course for GM Daryl Morey.
The 32-year-old swingman hasn’t played over the last 10 days while suffering from left knee tendinitis, but he’s been part of the team’s rotation all year, averaging 20.3 minutes per game. His offensive production has been paltry, as he’s averaged only 5.8 points on 5.5 shot attempts per contest, with a career-low 9.5 PER. His three-point accuracy this season, at 34.2%, is off from his career mark of 36% and down even more from last year’s 37.4% rate. His lack of a long-range threat may be fueling Houston’s desire to move him, since the team relies heavily on outside shooting from its wing players.
Garcia’s deal includes a player option for next season. He’s significantly cheaper than he was last season, when he made $6.1MM. The Kings traded him to the Rockets at the 2013 deadline.