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Rockets Notes: Wall, Cousins, Harden, Hard Cap

December 30th, 2020 at 7:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon all practiced today for the first time since being forced to quarantine after an ill-fated haircut last week, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets‘ Dec. 23 season opener was canceled because they didn’t have enough active players, and they were short-handed for the two games that followed.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Wall said. “All I did was get a haircut in my apartment. And one of the teammates tested positive and the next four or five tests I had all came back negative. So, I was like ‘Oh, it was me and three people can’t get a haircut.’ I’d rather get a haircut in my apartment than be in a barbershop somewhere where random people are coming in constantly. Even the barber tested negative. That was a frustrating thing.”

Assuming no more setbacks, Wall will play his first game in more than two years on Thursday. He and Cousins, who responded to the quarantine with an online post of an angry emoji, will both make their debuts with the Rockets.

“It’s tough in general to be sitting around for seven days, no type of activity,” Cousins said. “It’s tough for any person, but especially for a professional athlete, sitting at home for seven days straight then jumping back in a full-speed practice or game. There’s not a lot of positive on that side.”

There’s more from Houston:

Head coach Stephen Silas said league protocol requires Ben McLemore and KJ Martin, who are believed to have tested positive for COVID-19, to remain in quarantine through the weekend, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Sixers are farther away from trying to acquire Rockets star James Harden than they were two weeks ago, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on today’s episode of “The Jump” (video link). With a 3-1 record and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid playing well together, Philadelphia doesn’t feel any urgency to make a move. Windhorst believes Simmons gives the Sixers the best asset of any of the teams rumored to be involved in talks for Harden, but he doesn’t think either side is in a hurry to complete a deal.
The Rockets are currently $1.077M below the hard cap, which means they will be able to add a pro-rated 15th player to their roster starting February 9, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad. Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts on February 23 (Twitter link).

Wood Impressing Silas

December 29th, 2020 at 7:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite an 0-2 start and some off-court pathos, new Rockets big man Christian Wood has impressed new head coach Stephen Silas thus far, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “Still trying to find his way, and we have to make sure he’s rolling and popping at the right time,” Silas said. “He started off really good hitting those three 3s early, but he’s got a little ways to go as well. We all do.” Wood is currently averaging 27.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 40.0 MPG for a depleted Rockets squad. He also has a stellar shooting line of .548/.571/.667.

Rockets Notes: Harden, Dinwiddie, Tucker, Silas

December 29th, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

Spencer Dinwiddie‘s partial ACL tear further reduces the odds of the Nets and Rockets working out a trade involving James Harden this season, in the view of Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle, who notes that Dinwiddie and his $11.5MM salary likely would’ve been a key part of any package Brooklyn could put together.

Dinwiddie’s injury doesn’t mean he can’t be traded, but it significantly diminishes his value, since he can reach free agency in 2021 and may not play another game on his current contract. Still, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested during his Monday episode of The Lowe Post that the Dinwiddie injury doesn’t really change the Nets’ and Rockets’ outlook for Harden, since the two teams had made no progress toward a deal anyway.

“Spencer Dinwiddie’s health did not make or break the Nets’ ability to get James Harden,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “It’s unclear to me, frankly, if those teams have had anything resembling a serious conversation about James Harden. Let’s make that clear. I don’t sense that there’s been hardly any traction there at all. And maybe the way the Nets started had them thinking ‘Why are we messing with this?'”

Here’s more on Harden and the Rockets:

Harden, who has averaged 39.0 PPG and 12.5 APG on .595/.500/.920 shooting in his first two games of the season, has provided the Rockets with a reminder of why it doesn’t make sense to trade him for “50 or 60 cents on the dollar,” writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
The Rockets will remain shorthanded on players until Wednesday and haven’t been able to conduct a full practice in about a week, but P.J. Tucker doesn’t think the team should view that as excuse for a slow start, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “It’s our jobs to play basketball. This happens,” Tucker said. “Guys go down with injuries, guys go down for being sick, guys go down for family issues. You miss guys all the time. It just makes it next man up. It’s an opportunity to go out and play.”
Stephen Silas reportedly wasn’t Harden’s first choice when the Rockets were searching for a new head coach this offseason, and his hiring may have even contributed to the former MVP’s decision to request a trade. However, Harden likes what he has seen from Silas so far, as Mark Medina of USA Today writes. “He did a great job,” Harden said of his new coach after the team’s first game on Saturday. “Very confident, knew what he was drawing up and knew where to put his guys at.”

Sixers’ Daryl Morey Fined By NBA For Tampering Violation

December 28th, 2020 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has fined Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey $50K for a violation of the league’s anti-tampering rules, according to a press release.

As the league explained in its announcement, the fine is a response to a December 20 Twitter post about James Harden that Morey has since deleted.

As captured by Bleacher Report, Morey tweeted last Sunday about the one-year anniversary of Harden breaking the Rockets‘ franchise record for total assists. He shared an “On This Day” memory of a post from December 20, 2019 celebrating the achievement before removing it several minutes later.

Morey told the NBA that the tweet was an inadvertent post from an automated app, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). However, he’ll still be responsible for paying a $50K fine, a strong signal that the league isn’t letting anything slide when it comes to its efforts to crack down on tampering.

The fact that the Sixers are reportedly one of Harden’s preferred trade destinations likely played a part in the NBA’s decision.

Southwest Notes: Harden, Pelicans, Powell, White

December 26th, 2020 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Headlines about James Harden in recent weeks have been focused on trade possibilities, COVID-19 protocols, and high-profile partying, but the Rockets star insists he’s focused on the new season, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston will be the last team to start its season tonight after Wednesday’s scheduled opener was postponed because the Rockets didn’t have the NBA minimum of eight available players.

“We got a good opportunity,” Harden said. “Starting my 12th year in this league. I’m excited for it. … To get out here playing, never want to take playing basketball for granted. So, I’m excited for tonight’s game.”

The Rockets haven’t played a game since the preseason ended nine days ago and they haven’t practiced since Tuesday because so many players are sidelined for coronavirus-related reasons. Harden acknowledges the challenge of trying to compete with half a roster.

“We’re missing three players in our rotation that play heavy minutes for our team, that are big pieces for our team,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for guys to step up and play big minutes. We’ve been training for it. We’re ready for it.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans are just two games into their season and depth already looks like an issue, observes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New coach Stan Van Gundy used his top seven players for 227 of the 240 minutes in Friday’s loss to Miami. “I haven’t given anybody a chance,” he admitted after the game. “That’s on me.”
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is excited to have center/power forward Dwight Powell available again after he underwent Achilles tendon surgery in January, tweets Dwain Price of Mavs.com. Powell played a combined 41 minutes in Dallas’ first two games. “I just know that for a 6’10” guy that went through that situation he’s done a remarkable job with rehab and all those kinds of things,” Carlisle said. “He’s an amazing guy.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters tonight that guard Derrick White is making progress with rehab work and “should return soon” after having offseason toe surgery, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). White signed a four-year extension earlier this week.

Nets Notes: Allen, Durant, Harden

December 26th, 2020 at 1:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Jarrett Allen didn’t receive a rookie scale contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline in part because of luxury tax concerns. However, head coach Steve Nash believes Allen will get rewarded handsomely down the line, according to Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. “He’s got a bright future,” Nash said. “He is going to have a big contract whenever the time is and we are just trying to figure out who we are as a team.” Brooklyn can make Allen a restricted free agent next summer by extending him a $5.66MM qualifying offer.

We have more on the Nets:

Kevin Durant has played like an All-Star in his first two games since returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon. It’s still too early to know the long-term impact of the injury, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic notes. Nash warns against any knee-jerk reactions. “He looks like Kevin, he plays like Kevin, but I don’t want to start making expectations of him until he gets going and gets some games and some rhythm under his belt and adapts to playing three in four nights and playing almost every other night for a stretch,” Nash said.
In the short run, Durant has been everything the franchise hoped when it signed him to a max deal, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. Durant had 29 points in 33 minutes against the Celtics on Christmas Day and the Nets can expect to have the best player on the floor most nights with him in the lineup.
Nash talks regularly with GM Sean Marks, but the subject of a potential James Harden deal hasn’t come up, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The disgruntled Rockets star initially said he wanted to be traded to Brooklyn but subsequently expanded his wish list. “I haven’t had any conversations about him,” Nash said. “So, you know, we definitely work in close proximity. I haven’t any conversations or any alerts, so maybe that says it all.”

Rockets’ Wall, Gordon, Cousins, Jones Quarantining Until Wednesday

December 26th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Four Rockets players – John Wall, Eric Gordon, DeMarcus Cousins, and Mason Jones – will be required by the NBA to quarantine for seven days for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Their quarantine periods began on Wednesday.

Wall, Gordon, Cousins, and Jones will miss Houston’s games on Saturday (at Portland) and Monday (at Denver). As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets, all four players expected to receive clearance to practice with the team on Wednesday, barring any setbacks, and should be available to suit up on Thursday for the Rockets’ home opener vs. Sacramento.

The Rockets will also be without Ben McLemore and KJ Martin for the immediate future, since both players are self-isolating after returning positive coronavirus tests, as Feigen writes.

However, the expectation is that James Harden will be cleared to play today following a four-day quarantine for violating COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and the Rockets will have enough players available for their game vs. the Blazers.

In addition to the six players who are missing for COVID-19 reasons, the Rockets will also be without Chris Clemons, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles. That leaves nine players – Harden, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Christian Wood, Sterling Brown, David Nwaba, Bruno Caboclo, Jae’Sean Tate, and Brodric Thomas – presumed to be available for now. The NBA requires teams to have at least eight players active for games.

Reports earlier this week indicated that Tate was among the players who were sent home for contact tracing, but he’s not on Houston’s latest injury report and isn’t among the list of players said to be in the midst of their seven-day quarantines.

Southwest Notes: Harden, Cauley-Stein, Richardson, Popovich

December 25th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained during an ESPN appearance that Rockets star James Harden didn’t face a suspension for violating COVID-19 protocols because the NBA didn’t want to set that harsh a precedent to start the season, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Harden was fined $50K after an NBA investigation found that Harden violated protocols when he attended an indoor party of 15 or more people.

“The precedent is that discipline gets ratcheted up,” Silver said. “It’s Christmas. It was a first offense.”

Silver said, adding “in a way he got lucky.” If the Rockets’ first game had not been postponed, Harden would have been docked one game’s pay, Feigen adds. Harden is expected to make his season debut on Saturday.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks big man Willie Cauley-Stein could see an uptick in minutes as Dwight Powell is eased back into the rotation from an Achilles injury, according to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Cauley-Stein played well in a six-minute stint during the team’s opener. Cauley-Stein signed a two-year, $8.2MM contract with a team option at the beginning of the month.
Off-season acquisitions Josh Richardson and James Johnson were identified as two players that would fit well with Mavericks star Luka Doncic, Caplan writes in a separate story. Richardson filled a need for a 3-and-D wing player who could also handle the ball while Johnson provides a measure of toughness.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News details how 71-year-old coach Gregg Popovich is connecting with his youthful Spurs roster.

Rockets Staffer Tests Positive; New Contact Tracing For Gordon, Others

December 25th, 2020 at 2:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 25: The Rockets, who are scheduled to travel to Portland on Friday night for Saturday’s game, are currently on course to have the mandated minimum of eight players available for that contest, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Houston could have as many as nine players available, Stein adds (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 24: A Rockets staff member has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. As a result, contact tracing is being conducted for guard Eric Gordon and other Houston personnel, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic (via Twitter).

Meanwhile, Charania adds (Twitter link) that “several” of Gordon’s Rockets teammates – including DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall and possibly others – are facing a week-long quarantine period for a separate possible exposure. As we relayed earlier this week, Jae’Sean Tate and Mason Jones were also sent home along with Cousins and Wall to quarantine under the league’s contact tracing protocol.

Three Rockets players have recently returned positive or inconclusive COVID-19 tests, among them KJ Martin and Ben McLemore. The identity of the third player has not been disclosed, but apparently All-Star guard James Harden remains negative for the coronavirus and will most likely be available for the Rockets’ next game after being fined $50,000 for violating league protocols regarding COVID-19.

What this means for the Rockets’ upcoming game against the Trail Blazers, scheduled for Saturday, has yet to be divulged. The Rockets’ first scheduled game of the season yesterday was postponed when it was determined that, between injuries and coronavirus protocols, the club would not have enough healthy players available.

It appeared that Houston would be able to activate at least eight players on Saturday, even if the rest of the players besides Harden who were unavailable on Wednesday had yet to be cleared. But if Gordon and others are now required to self-isolate, that may no longer be the case.

Harden’s Wish List Now Includes Blazers, Celtics

December 24th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets All-Star guard James Harden, the talk of this young 2020/21 season for a variety of reasons, has expanded his wish list of NBA trade destinations to include the Trail Blazers and Celtics, according to Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of the Athletic.

The Nets, Sixers, Heat and Bucks were the four teams Harden has previously identified as preferred landing spots. The Heat have reportedly paused cursory talks surrounding a Harden trade, apparently balking at the Rockets’ asking price. The Bucks are also not expected to pursue Harden.

Finding salaries to match Harden’s in a trade is no small feat. The 31-year-old has two guaranteed years remaining on his current max contract, and holds a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season.

The Trail Blazers, led by All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and talented shooting guard C.J. McCollum, impressed during their run to the 2019 Western Conference Finals. Though he has yet to make an All-Star team, the 29-year-old McCollum could be the kind of high-level scoring target around which Portland could begin build a trade. Last season, with Lillard clearly the focal point of Portland’s offense, McCollum averaged 22.2 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.2 RPG, 0.8 SPF and 0.6 BPG while posting a shooting line of .451/.379/.757.

The Celtics have appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals for three of the last four seasons. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is almost certainly untouchable in any Harden deal, but versatile 24-year-old forward Jaylen Brown, who has emerged as a two-way force, might appeal to Houston.

Iko and Amick note that the Rockets have talked with teams that are not on Harden’s list of preferred landing spots. The Nuggets are among this group. Denver has not made star guard Jamal Murray available in trade discussions yet, though the Rockets remain intrigued by second-year forward Michael Porter Jr.