10:36am: Goudelock has signed, the team announced.
MARCH 9TH, 10:20am: The Rockets have finally received clearance from FIBA, a necessary step when players change countries, Feigen tweets. That was holding up the signing, which still hasn’t taken place.
3:28pm: The second year is a team option, tweets Feigen.
3:22pm: Goudelock’s contract is a minimum salary arrangement that covers the rest of the season and includes either a full or partial guarantee for 2016/17 that kicks in on August 1st, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter).
MARCH 2ND, 2:36pm: The Rockets and former Lakers shooting guard Andrew Goudelock have reached a contract agreement, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Goudelock has been playing for China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who just fell in the Chinese Basketball Association semifinals. The 27-year-old has been out of the NBA since 2013 but has a history with the Rockets organization, having played for their D-League affiliate for part of the 2012/13 season, when he won D-League MVP honors. Houston has a pair of open roster spots, so no corresponding move is necessary.
The Goudelock deal is reminiscent of Houston’s initial signing of Patrick Beverley, whom the team picked out of Russia in the middle of the season three years ago, though it would no doubt be a dream scenario for all involved if Goudelock develops the way Beverley has. In the meantime, Goudelock adds depth to a backcourt that the release of Marcus Thornton and the buyout deal with Ty Lawson have thinned. Goudelock averaged 22.1 points in 35.1 minutes per game with 41.6% 3-point shooting against relatively weak competition in China this season.
The details of the pact are unclear, but the Rockets have no more than about $900K to hand out to any one free agent this season, regardless of how much Lawson gave up in his buyout. Houston was about $524K shy of its hard cap before offloading Lawson.
So, basically, insurance in case Beverley goes down.
I don’t like what Houston is doing.. Beasley & Goudelock are big time downgrades from Thronton & Lawson.. for a team that is already on the bubble for playoffs and possibly losing Dwight next year… just doesn’t seem like smart moves to me..Anyone else wondering what’s going on?
It’s hard to imagine anyone being a downgrade from what Lawson was giving them. And Durant is a life-long friend of Kevin Durant. The Rockets have a team option on Beasley for next season. If he helps this sign Durant, they’ll keep him. If not, they can let him go.
About time the MINI MAMBA is back!!!!!!!