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Rockets Seek Porter Jr. In Potential Harden Trade With Nuggets

December 22nd, 2020 at 6:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have focused on Michael Porter Jr. in trade discussions with the Nuggets as the centerpiece of a potential James Harden trade, Mike Singer of the Denver Post reports.

However, the talks didn’t gain any traction, Singer adds. This updates an earlier report that the Nuggets are unwilling to give up Jamal Murray in a package for Harden. Murray was never included in any discussions and Nikola Jokic is also off-limits.

Porter would give the Rockets a potential star in return for the perennial All-Star guard, who wants to be dealt. Any potential deal with Denver would also have to include Gary Harris and/or Will Barton for salary-matching purposes salaries and that would seriously deplete the Nuggets at the wing spots, Singer notes.

Harden would make for an intriguing third star to join forces with Jokic and Murray but he could also wreck the good chemistry the team displayed while making its run to the conference finals last season.

Porter averaged 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 55 games (16.4 MPG) during his de facto rookie season in 2019/20 after he was sidelined the previous campaign due to a back injury. His playing time grew during the playoffs, as he averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG while shooting 38.2% from long range.

Houston has reportedly been seeking a return that features an All-Star-caliber young player, along with several other assets (young players or draft picks).

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Nuggets Won’t Trade Murray In Potential Harden Deal

December 22nd, 2020 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have reportedly spoken to the Rockets about the possibility of a James Harden trade, but Denver would be unwilling to include Jamal Murray in any offer for the former MVP, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

As Singer explains, Murray’s impressive postseason run during the Orlando restart over the summer underscored why the Nuggets gave him a maximum-salary extension a year ago. It also demonstrated why Denver views the 23-year-old as a long-term franchise cornerstone alongside Nikola Jokic, who – of course – also wouldn’t be available in any Harden discussions.

With Jokic and Murray off the table, the most obvious centerpiece in a potential Nuggets offer would be Michael Porter Jr. The 22-year-old forward averaged 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 55 games (16.4 MPG) during his de facto rookie season in 2019/20.

While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Porter’s upside is considerable and he’s viewed as a potential offensive star. Still, it’s not clear how enthusiastic the Rockets would be about a deal built around him — or how many other assets the Nuggets would be willing to include in such an offer. Houston has reportedly been seeking a return that features an All-Star-caliber young player, along with several other assets (young players or draft picks).

[RELATED: Tension Between Harden, Rockets Teammates?]

Denver hasn’t been mentioned as one of Harden’s preferred landing spots, but a report last week indicated that the Rockets had expanded trade talks beyond those teams on his wish list. Presumably, the Nuggets were one of those teams, though it’s unclear if the two sides remain in touch or have engaged in anything beyond exploratory discussions.

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Tension Between James Harden, Rockets Teammates?

December 22nd, 2020 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets appear set to open the regular season with James Harden on their roster, and while the star guard has reportedly vowed to be professional as he waits for the team to satisfy his trade request, the environment around the team has been tense at times in recent days, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Harden had multiple verbal confrontations with teammates during practices on Sunday and Monday, reports Charania. Sources tell The Athletic that one of those confrontations saw Harden throw a basketball at Jae’Sean Tate after the two had a “heated exchange.”

Charania acknowledges that tense practice interactions between teammates aren’t necessarily uncommon in competitive environments. However, he says some people around the franchise view the confrontations as signaling an “uncharacteristic level of frustration” for Harden, who is typically more calm and laid back.

While Charania compares the situation to Jimmy Butler‘s final weeks in Minnesota, he notes that there are a number of differences between the two situations — Butler was in a contract year, which gave him added leverage, and has a more fiery, volatile personality than Harden. The Rockets are hoping to avoid that sort of volatility as they wait out the trade market and focus on finding a deal that meets their asking price, says Charania.

For what it’s worth, Charania writes that sources have described Harden as “engaged and encouraging” with teammates during games so far this month.

The Rockets will open their regular season by hosting the Thunder on Wednesday night.

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Heat No Longer Engaging In Harden Talks With Rockets

December 21st, 2020 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are no longer engaging in discussions with the Rockets about a possible James Harden trade, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

Miami was said to be among Harden’s preferred landing spot, and a report earlier this month indicated the Heat would be open to exploring the possibility of a deal. However, Winderman hears that the discussions were “never more than cursory.”

The Heat had some interest, but not at the Rockets’ asking price, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson adds (via Twitter) that one high-ranking Heat official had “strong interest” in a deal and that the team might re-engage if Houston lowers its asking price. For now, Miami is standing firm.

As Winderman points out (via Twitter), the Heat have taken this approach before, shutting down trade discussions on a potential target once the regular season begins — they did so with Jimmy Butler right before the start of the 2018/19 campaign, preferring to push that speculation aside once the season tipped off. Butler eventually made his way to Miami in the 2019 offseason after being traded from Minnesota to Philadelphia during the season.

In order to realistically have a shot to acquire Harden without giving up Butler or Bam Adebayo, the Heat would have to gut their supporting cast, likely including veterans like Andre Iguodala and Kelly Olynyk for salary purposes and then sweetening their offer by including young players like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and/or Kendrick Nunn, along with future draft picks.

The inclusion of Robinson in a potential deal was said to be a sticking point, though it sounds like the Heat and Rockets may not have gotten far enough in their talks to seriously haggle over specific aspects of an offer.

The Rockets have also had Harden discussions with the Nets, Sixers, and Nuggets, among other teams, says ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Denver isn’t believed to be among Harden’s preferred destinations, but could put together an interesting trade package for a star player.

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And-Ones: Coronavirus, Waiver Order, Lottery, Achilles Injuries

December 21st, 2020 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

In a column for USA Today, NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained that while another bubble wasn’t a practical solution for the 2020/21 season, the league believes it can take the lessons learned during the Orlando summer restart and conduct its new season “safely and responsibly.” As it did prior to the summer restart, the NBA has designed thorough health and safety protocols in consultation with public health and medical experts, according to Silver.

“We recognize there are some people who believe we should wait to return until the pandemic is crushed, but we believe that on balance, the right approach is to start our season now,” Silver said.

While Silver claims in his column that “the health and safety of everyone remains our top priority,” it’s safe to say that financial considerations played a large part in the NBA’s decision to begin its new season now. Previous reports have indicated that starting the ’20/21 campaign before Christmas is expected to salvage between $500MM and $1 billion in projected revenue for the league.

As for the NBA’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, Silver said on Monday during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take that the league won’t “jump the line in any form whatsoever,” as Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays.

“For the most part, because our players are so young and healthy without some sort of comorbidity, they will not be a high priority for vaccinations,” Silver said. “There are some other members of the NBA community working on court who are older and will have a higher priority to get the vaccine.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • From now until January 24, the NBA’s waiver order will be based on winning percentage as of March 11, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The teams with the worst records at that time will have the highest waiver priority. Typically, the waiver order is based on the current season’s records starting on December 1, but that won’t happen until January 25 this season due to the revamped calendar.
  • Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer makes the case that the NBA’s new lottery format – which went into effect in 2019 – has made it more difficult for teams to “tank their way to the top.”
  • Taking into account how many Rockets players have suffered torn Achilles tendons, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle takes a deep dive into the injury and the recovery process, explaining why it’s no longer considered the same sort of career-killer it once was for NBA players. DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and David Nwaba suffered Achilles tears in the past, while Chris Clemons tore his Achilles during a preseason game this month.
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2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division

December 21st, 2020 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on Tuesday, so it’s time to get serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll wrap things up by heading to the Southwest…

Dallas Mavericks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Mavericks poll.

New Orleans Pelicans

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pelicans poll.

Houston Rockets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Rockets poll.

Memphis Grizzlies

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Grizzlies poll.

San Antonio Spurs

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Spurs poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)

Central:

  • Milwaukee Bucks (51.5 wins): Over (73.7%)
  • Indiana Pacers (39.5 wins): Over (57.9%)
  • Chicago Bulls (29.5 wins): Under (61.6%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (23.5 wins): Under (68.5%)
  • Detroit Pistons (22.5 wins): Over (53.9%)

Pacific:

  • Los Angeles Lakers (48.5 wins): Over (79.1%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (47.5 wins): Under (50.4%)
  • Phoenix Suns (40.5 wins): Over (51.0%)
  • Golden State Warriors (38.5 wins): Over (60.3%)
  • Sacramento Kings (29.5 wins): Under (60.7%)

Southeast:

  • Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Over (67.6%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (36.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Washington Wizards (34.5 wins): Under (50.7%)
  • Orlando Magic (31.5 wins): Under (73.5%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (26.5 wins): Over (56.3%)
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Harden Not Distracting Rockets From Early Goals

December 20th, 2020 at 1:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Rockets head coach Stephen Silas has said that reports of All-NBA guard James Harden‘s various possible trade destinations have not distracted the club, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The superstar has been linked to the Nets, Sixers, and Heat, among other clubs, as he hopes for a trade. “He has been committed since he’s been here,” Silas said. “He’s been great in practice, good to talk to, listening, trying, asking good questions, pulling me aside and telling me the things that he sees.”
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Rockets Sign, Waive Josh Reaves

December 19th, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets signed free agent wing Josh Reaves to a contract and waived him shortly thereafter, as our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter).

Reaves, 23, signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks in 2019 shortly after going undrafted out of Penn State. The former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year logged just 28 total minutes in four games with Dallas, but was a full-time starter for the Texas Legends in the G League, averaging 13.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.0 SPG in 37 games (30.6 MPG).

It’s not uncommon for NBA teams to waive certain players right after signing them at this time of year — those transactions are generally completed with the G League in mind. If Reaves signed an Exhibit 10 contract, which seems likely, Houston will have his NBAGL rights and he’ll be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he plays for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Of course, with the G League season still up in the air, it’s unclear whether or not the Vipers will even play this year, but the signing (and waiving) of Reaves suggests the Rockets’ affiliate hasn’t ruled out participating in the proposed NBAGL bubble.

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Rockets Waive Gerald Green, Others

December 19th, 2020 at 9:30pm CST by Luke Adams

9:30pm: All the roster moves detailed below are now official, per the Rockets and RealGM’s transactions log.

11:46am: Veteran swingman and Houston native Gerald Green will be among the players waived by the Rockets today as they ready their roster for the regular season, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Green has spent most of the last three years with the Rockets, though he was unable to play at all during the 2019/20 season due to a broken foot. He signed a non-guaranteed deal with Houston prior to training camp and was a candidate to make the roster, but cap constraints will make it impossible for now.

The Rockets only have enough room under their hard cap to carry 14 players for the time being, and Chris Clemons will be one of those players since his salary will now be guaranteed due to his season-ending Achilles tear. Houston still had some flexibility to cut a non-guaranteed player besides Green, but the team – unsurprisingly – will hang onto DeMarcus Cousins, Jae’Sean Tate, and Bruno Caboclo ahead of the 34-year-old wing.

The Rockets are open to bringing back Green later in the season if other roster moves make it possible, a source tells Feigen.

Meanwhile, Houston will also waive Trey Mourning and William McDowell-White, according to Feigen. McDowell-White just signed a two-way contract this week, but the plan is for Brodric Thomas to fill that two-way slot — he’ll have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract, says Feigen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Extension Rumors: Z. Collins, Allen, Tucker, Mykhailiuk, Markkanen

December 19th, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Like his teammate Gary Trent Jr., Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins doesn’t intend to sign a contract extension with the club before the season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Scotto that discussions with Portland on a long-term deal for Collins will be tabled until the 2021 offseason.

“(Blazers president of basketball operations) Neil (Olshey) and I have talked quite a bit about Zach, and there’s no question how strongly the Blazers feel about him,” Bartelstein said. “We both feel that an extension probably just doesn’t make sense at this time based on Zach not having a chance to play as much last year due to his injuries.

“Everyone’s focus right now is on getting Zach back to full health and having a terrific season, and then Neil and I will sit down and get to work on a contract this summer.”

Collins missed most of the 2019/20 season due to a shoulder injury, then had to be shut down early during the summer restart thanks to ankle surgery. He only played a total of 11 games in his third year, so he’ll look to make a stronger impression during the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in ’20/21.

Here’s more from Scotto on potential candidates for contract extensions:

  • The Nets have had exploratory discussions with center Jarrett Allen about a possible rookie scale extension, according to Scotto, who hears from a source close to Allen that the big man has enjoyed learning from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and wants to remain in Brooklyn long-term.
  • Scotto confirms that P.J. Tucker and the Rockets are engaging in extension talks, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reported on Friday. If the two sides don’t reach a deal and Tucker becomes available in trades, Houston should have no problem finding suitors — multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring him, says Scotto.
  • There’s mutual interest between the Pistons and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk in a potential extension, writes Scotto. Mykhailiuk, who will become a restricted free agent in 2021 without a new deal, would be eligible for up to $53.76MM over four years. That’s probably higher than Detroit would be willing to go, but it’s worth noting that the third-year guard made 40.4% of his three-pointers in 2019/20 and sharpshooters like Davis Bertans and Joe Harris did very well in free agency.
  • Although the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen have both publicly expressed a desire to finalize a rookie scale extension by Monday’s deadline, the team sides remained far apart heading into the weekend, according to Scotto.
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