Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: Augustin, Draft Picks, Losing Streak, Oladipo

March 20th, 2021 at 7:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

D.J. Augustin went from one of the league’s best teams to one of the worst this week, but he’s excited to suit up for his adopted hometown, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Augustin was part of the return in the deal that sent P.J. Tucker from the Rockets to the Bucks, and he’s ready to assume a leadership role as the oldest player on his new team.

“Coming in being in this position with a team that lost a lot of games, losing seasons, I’ve been a part of that,” Augustin said. “I’ve also been a part of winning teams and teams that won a lot of games. Knowing what I’ve been through, trying to bring that leadership here, try to keep guys together through these rough times. Hopefully, we can turn things around before the season ends.”

Augustin played about 19 minutes per night as a backup guard for Milwaukee. He figures to have the same role for Houston, assuming he isn’t traded again before Thursday’s deadline. Even though John Wall is in his 11th NBA season, he believes there are things he can learn from Augustin.

“That’s one of those guys I always wanted to play with and also tried to get him as a backup a couple times in Washington,” Wall said. “It’s funny how we ended up on the same team now. I always respected him, his play and how he carries himself on and off the court.”

There’s more from Houston:

The Rockets picked up more draft capital in the Tucker trade, but general manager Rafael Stone isn’t committed to keeping his large stack of picks, a source tells Feigen in a separate story. Houston would like to exchange some of its draft assets for a “foundation piece” and will pursue deals along those lines this week.
Players are feeling the effects of their 19-game losing streak, Feigen adds in a another piece. Injuries and roster movement have contributed to the downturn, as Houston used its 27th starting lineup in 40 games Friday night. “It’s just chemistry. The chemistry is off. That’s it,” Danuel House said. “We’re going to get it together. It’s just a learning curve we’re going through together.”
The Rockets talked to the Warriors about Victor Oladipo, but nothing went past the inquiry stage, a source tells Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. The source said Houston is asking for rookie center James Wiseman or the Timberwolves’ top-three protected pick this year, which are both “conversation enders.”

David Nwaba Opts For Surgery On Wrist

March 20th, 2021 at 2:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets swingman David Nwaba has decided to undergo right wrist surgery, according to coach Stephen Silas, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

The surgical procedure would likely sideline Nwaba for approximately six weeks. Nwaba originally sprained his wrist in a February 28 game, but he tried to tough it out with so many of his teammates unavailable due to injuries.

Nwaba re-aggravated the wrist injury on Sunday against Boston, which put surgery back on the table. Nwaba has appeared in 30 games this season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 3.9 RPG. He’s playing for his fifth team in as many seasons.

Houston picked up its $1.824MM option on Nwaba in November. He was signed to a two-year deal prior to the restart. He began last season with the Nets but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December and was waived shortly thereafter.

Tucker Thought He'd Be Dealt Sooner

March 19th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

P.J. Tucker has been traded by the Rockets to the Bucks but the veteran forward thought he’d be wearing a different uniform much sooner, Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic report. Following a team meeting in January, Tucker expected to be included in the James Harden deal where he’s wind up in either Brooklyn or Philadelphia. Instead, Tucker – who is seeking an extension — spent two months waiting for the front office to find a new home for him.

Trade Rumors: Oladipo, Kings, Markkanen, McGee

March 19th, 2021 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski expects Rockets guard Victor Oladipo to be “prominent” in trade discussions leading up to the March 25 deadline, he said in the latest episode of The Woj Pod. However, it’s not clear what sort of return Houston will want or if any teams will be willing to meet the asking price.

As RealGM relays, Wojnarowski and ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps believe teams will be reluctant to aggressively pursue Oladipo since he hasn’t recaptured his All-Star form in Houston (he’s shooting .399/.316/.772 since joining the Rockets) and will be seeking a huge new multiyear contract as a free agent this offseason.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

A number of power forwards are among the most intriguing players on the trade market, but teams like the Kings, Magic, and Bulls are sending signals that they won’t necessarily feel compelled to move players like Harrison Barnes, Aaron Gordon, and Thaddeus Young, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link). According to Windhorst, teams that have called Sacramento have found the club willing to discuss Nemanja Bjelica and Jabari Parker, but more hesitant to talk about Barnes.
The Bulls appear more likely to consider moving Lauri Markkanen than Young, Windhorst adds in the same story.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, a number of strong playoff teams are interested in Cavaliers center JaVale McGee. However, those clubs are gauging the likelihood of a possible buyout for McGee before committing to giving up an asset for him.
Bobby Marks of ESPN closes the book on the trade that sent Torrey Craig to the Suns, tweeting that Phoenix sent $110K to the Bucks in the deal. That’s the minimum amount possible this season if a team trades cash.

Rockets Trade P.J. Tucker To Bucks

March 19th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 19: The Rockets and Bucks have officially completed their trade, per a press release.

MARCH 17: Milwaukee is making some roster adjustments ahead of a playoff push.

The Bucks are acquiring forwards P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs and reacquiring their own 2022 first-round pick from the Rockets in exchange for veteran point guard D.J. Augustin, forward D.J. Wilson, the Bucks’ 2023 unprotected first-round draft pick, and the right to swap the Rockets’ 2021 second-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-round draft pick (top-nine protected), reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal will add Tucker to the Bucks’ frontcourt, giving the team a strong, versatile defender to match up with opposing forwards and big men in the second half and in the postseason. After three-and-a-half seasons in Houston, the 35-year-old reached an agreement with the team last week that allowed him to remain away from the Rockets while they sought a trade for him.

Tucker hasn’t contributed much on offense this season, averaging a career-low 4.4 PPG with a .314 3PT% in 32 games (30.0 MPG), but he’s still a solid defender and could be rejuvenated by a change of scenery that gets him to a contender.

The Rockets, losers of 17 straight games, clearly appear to be in asset acquisition mode now. The deal should allow them to move up at least a few spots in the 2021 draft, as they’ll swap their second-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-rounder. By reacquiring their 2022 first-round pick from Houston, the Bucks are able to surrender both their 2021 and 2023 first-rounders in this deal without violating the Stepien rule.

While the Rockets were rumored to be seeking a young impact player in exchange for Tucker, that was always considered an ambitious goal, given the forward’s recent decline. But the club will get a chance to look at a former first-rounder in Wilson before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency in the summer.

It’s not yet clear what Houston’s plan for Augustin is, but he’s the one player in the deal who is owed guaranteed money beyond this season, with a $7MM guaranteed salary for 2021/22 and a non-guaranteed $7.3MM salary in ’22/23. He could provide depth at the point guard spot for the Rockets or be rerouted to a new team at some point.

The Bucks have also reportedly agreed to send Torrey Craig to the Suns and will now have two open roster spots. They’ll go from about $442K below the hard cap to $3.5MM below, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so they’ll have a little more breathing room to fill out their 15-man roster via trade or on the buyout market.

Luke Adams contributed to this story. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Preferred Ariza Deal To Meeting Rockets' Asking Price For Tucker

March 19th, 2021 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat made their deal for Trevor Ariza with over a week to go until the March 25 trade deadline. One reason for Miami’s willingness to act early was the team’s inability to find common ground with the Spurs or Rockets on trade compensation for Rudy Gay or P.J. Tucker, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Rockets Notes: Young Players, Tucker Deal, Lamb

March 18th, 2021 at 5:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As injured Rockets veterans continue to rejoin the roster, head coach Stephen Silas still intends to keep some rotation minutes open for the development of Houston’s youth movement, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The most recent player to return to the Houston lineup is center Christian Wood, who rejoined the team on the floor last night after a 17-game absence due to a sprained ankle. Wing Danuel House Jr. also recently returned from his own injury absence, and veteran guards John Wall and Victor Oladipo are expected back Friday.

A pair of tantalizing 20-year-olds – Kevin Porter Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr. – still figure to earn major minutes even with the older players back on the floor. “I will say I am working on it and I am attentive to the fact I want those young guys to play,” Silas said.

There’s more out of Houston:

Following the deal that sent P.J. Tucker, Rodions Kurucs and a 2022 first-round draft pick (Milwaukee’s own) to the Bucks, Kelly Iko of The Athletic explains why he thinks both the Rockets and Milwaukee should be happy with the trade. In return, Houston received some promising draft assets, plus veteran reserve point guard D.J. Augustin and young power forward D.J. Wilson. Iko is intrigued by the lengthy Wilson’s upside and fit within a Silas system, Augustin’s veteran know-how, and the Rockets front office’s acquisition of two Bucks first-round picks in the deal.
Rockets two-way player Anthony Lamb was named the G League’s Most Improved Player due to his stellar output for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, G League affiliate for the Rockets, according to an NBAGL press release.
As we previously relayed, Rockets swingman David Nwaba initially opted to avoid surgery on his injured wrist to help a Rockets club riddled with player absences. He subsequently re-aggravated the injury, making surgery a possibility once again.

Christian Wood Set To Return For Rockets

March 17th, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

Rockets big man Christian Wood is expected to return on Wednesday night vs. the Warriors after missing the last 17 games with a sprained ankle, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). Houston has lost 17 times in a row since Wood went down with the injury.

Wood will start and will be on a minutes restriction, adds Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link).

Prior to the ankle sprain, Wood was making a case for an All-Star spot, averaging 22.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game with a .558/.421/.688 shooting line in 17 contests (31.2 MPG).

At the time of Wood’s injury, the Rockets were in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race at 11-10. Now, they have the NBA’s third-worst record and are considered likely to be sellers at the trade deadline, with Wood viewed as perhaps the lone untouchable player on the roster.

Even with Wood back in the lineup, Houston figures to have a shortage of depth on Wednesday vs. Golden State. John Wall (knee), Eric Gordon (groin), David Nwaba (wrist), Danuel House (knee), Ben McLemore (ankle), Dante Exum (calf), and Rodions Kurucs (oblique) are also dealing with injuries, while P.J. Tucker is away from the team as he awaits a trade. However, House and McLemore have been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Rockets Notes: McLemore, Wood, Nwaba

March 17th, 2021 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Kelly Iko of The Athletic previewed the Rockets‘ trade deadline, discussing possible suitors for Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker, as well as other players who could be available. Iko believes Ben McLemore could be had for a second-round pick and suggests that Christian Wood is the closest thing to an untouchable player on the roster.
David Nwaba decided to forgo wrist surgery and play through the injury for the shorthanded Rockets, but he reaggravated the issue a couple games ago, putting surgery back on the table, according to head coach Stephen Silas, who said Nwaba is “probably going to be out for quite a bit” (video link via Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston).

Mannix’s Latest: Clippers, Rubio, Magic, Celtics, Horford, More

March 16th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers remain in the market for help at the point guard position, with Hornets veteran Terry Rozier among the players who has drawn “strong internal interest,” according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix adds that George Hill and Ricky Rubio are among the other possible trade candidates in play for the Clippers, who have limited draft assets to use as sweeteners.

The Magic, who are also seeking point guard help, have kicked the tires on Rubio lately as well, per Mannix. That lines up with a Monday report from Jake Fischer of SI.com, who said Orlando had discussed a trade with the Timberwolves that would involve Rubio and Aaron Gordon.

Magic head coach Steve Clifford, who coached Kemba Walker in Charlotte, remains a big fan of the Celtics point guard, but Walker is unlikely to be on the move by March 25, says Mannix.

Here’s more from Mannix’s latest round-up of trade-related rumors:

Reports on Monday indicated that a trade is more likely than a buyout for LaMarcus Aldridge, and that the Celtics are focusing on the Spurs‘ big man. However, Mannix cites league sources who believe a buyout is the most likely outcome for Aldridge, and adds that Boston isn’t interested in trading for the veteran Spur.
While the Thunder are open to listening to inquires on Al Horford, they’re happy with how he has performed this season and won’t be looking to just give him away, Mannix writes.
Rival executives view the Heat as the favorites to land Rockets forward P.J. Tucker, per Mannix.
Tom Thibodeau has urged the Knicks‘ front office to be active at the deadline, and the club may pursue upgrades, but so far New York has shown little appetite for moving any of its top young players or taking on long-term salary, Mannix reports.
While Michael Porter Jr. is presumed to be off-limits, Gary Harris, Will Barton, and Bol Bol are among the Nuggets believed to be available as the team seeks a complementary piece for Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, according to Mannix.