Francisco Garcia “definitely” has interest in playing in Houston again and agent Aaron Goodwin has spoken with the Rockets about his client, as Goodwin tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The Rockets are one of a handful of teams reported to have shown interest in the swingman this month, and Goodwin said that he and Garcia continue to sort through their options.
The 32-year-old Garcia turned down a minimum salary option to remain under contract with the Rockets for this coming season, and Houston has multiple ways to give him more money than he passed up. The Rockets still possess their $5.305MM mid-level and $2.077MM biannual exceptions, and they can also give Garcia up to 20% more than the minimum salary through his Non-Bird rights.
The Jazz, Pelicans and Nets were the other teams apparently interested in Garcia as of two weeks ago, though Goodwin told Feigen that Garcia would prefer to sign with a title contender. Brooklyn has the strongest chances of at least a deep playoff run among those three, though the Nets would be limited to giving Garcia no more than the minimum salary.