Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: Nnaji, Oturu, Silas, Unseld

October 7th, 2020 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are currently the only team that doesn’t hold a pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but the club has been doing its homework on prospects from this year’s draft class. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), Zeke Nnaji and Daniel Oturu are among the prospects that Houston has either interviewed already or plans to interview.

Nnaji and Oturu are the 35th and 36th overall prospects on ESPN’s 2020 big board, so it’s possible that the Rockets are exploring the idea of trading into the second round — Wolfson suggests he wouldn’t be surprised if Daryl Morey contacts old friend Gersson Rosas, whose Timberwolves hold the No. 33 overall pick.

Still, the Rockets may very well just be doing their due diligence on the players entering the league this year so that there are no gaps in their scouting reports. Even if they don’t acquire a pick in this year’s draft, the Rockets will likely have an opportunity at some point down the road to trade for or sign players from the 2020 class, so it makes sense for the club to take advantage of its present opportunity to get to know some of those prospects.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Within his latest mailbag, Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores which Rockets players might be trade candidates this offseason and which free agents the club could realistically target.
In a separate article for The Athletic, as part of his ongoing look at several of the candidates for the Rockets’ head coaching job, Kelly Iko evaluates the merits of a pair of assistants, Stephen Silas and Wes Unseld Jr. According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (via Twitter), Unseld’s previously-reported interview with the team has now taken place. Silas has reportedly met with the Rockets as well.
In case you missed it, we also relayed earlier today that former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson and Timberwolves assistant David Vanterpool have interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching position.

Rockets Interview Stephen Silas, David Vanterpool

October 7th, 2020 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The list of candidates to interview for the Rockets‘ head coaching vacancy continues to grow, with Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston reporting (via Twitter) that the club has met with Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas and Timberwolves assistant David Vanterpool about the position.

An earlier report indicated that Kenny Atkinson has interviewed with the Rockets for their coaching job. Tyronn Lue is also expected to meet with the club at some point this week about the position — it’s not clear whether or not that meeting has already occurred. Rockets assistant John Lucas is said to be an “emerging candidate” for the role, and the club has also secured permission to talk to Wes Unseld Jr.

Silas, who was hired in 1999 as a scout by the franchise known at the time as the Charlotte Hornets, has since served as an assistant on a number of NBA coaching staffs. After spending eight years as an assistant with the Bobcats/Hornets from 2010-18, he moved to Dallas in 2018, where he has spent the last two years as a member of Rick Carlisle‘s staff.

Vanterpool, meanwhile, coached EuroLeague powerhouse CSKA Moscow from 2007-12 before returning stateside and becoming a Trail Blazers assistant. After seven years in Portland, he was hired in 2019 by the Timberwolves as an associate head coach under Ryan Saunders.

Both Silas and Vanterpool have interviewed for head coaching positions in the past, but neither has any head coaching experience. Each of the two veteran assistants reportedly interviewed with the Pacers and Bulls this year, while Vanterpool has also been linked to the Thunder’s opening.

Rockets Interview Kenny Atkinson For Coaching Job

October 7th, 2020 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets interviewed former Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson for their head coaching opening this week, according to Alykhan Bijani and Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Atkinson was identified as a possible candidate to coach the Rockets shortly after Mike D’Antoni parted ways with the team. Houston’s interest was later confirmed in a separate report, but the fact that Atkinson has met with the club is new information.

Atkinson, who began his coaching career in France in 2004, later served as an assistant for the Knicks from 2008-12 and for the Hawks from 2012-16 before taking over as the Nets’ head coach. He led a rebuilding Brooklyn club to a 118-190 (.383) record over three-and-a-half seasons, earning a playoff berth in 2019. The Nets let him go in March, less than a week before the NBA went on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tyronn Lue and David Vanterpool are among the other candidates who are reportedly meeting with the Rockets about their head coaching position. Houston assistant John Lucas is said to be an “emerging candidate” for the role, while the team has also been linked to the likes of Jeff Van Gundy, Sam Cassell, and Chris Finch, as our tracker shows.

The timeline for a Rockets hire is unclear.

Five Non-Bird Free Agents Who May Be Difficult To Re-Sign

October 7th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Every player who finishes a season as a member of an NBA roster gets some form of Bird rights as a free agent, allowing his team to go over the cap to re-sign him. However, a player who spent just one year with his club typically only has Non-Bird rights, which are the weakest form of Bird rights, as their oxymoronic name suggests.

With the Non-Bird exception, a team can re-sign a player for up to four years and give him a raise, but that raise has to be a modest one. Non-Bird rights allow for a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary or 120% of the minimum salary, whichever is greater.

In other words, a Non-Bird free agent who earned $5MM can only get a starting salary worth up to $6MM on his new deal unless his team uses cap room or another exception (such as the mid-level) to bring him back.

This cap restriction will apply specifically to a handful of players around the NBA who may be in line for raises this summer. Because these players will be Non-Bird free agents, it may be a challenge for their teams to re-sign them without cap room or an exception like the bi-annual or mid-level.

Let’s take a closer look at five players who will fall into this category this offseason…

Markieff Morris, F, Lakers
Dwight Howard, C, Lakers

During their run to the NBA Finals, the Lakers have matched up with talented opposing centers such as Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Bam Adebayo, while also facing a Rockets team that doesn’t use a traditional center. Anthony Davis has, of course, been the most important factor in the Lakers winning those frontcourt battles, but Morris and Howard have played major roles as well, proving their value as role players on a championship-caliber team.

Morris signed a $1.75MM contract during the season, while Howard’s one-year deal is worth the veteran’s minimum, so neither player can sign for more than 120% of the minimum if the over-the-cap Lakers hope to use their Non-Bird rights. If the cap doesn’t increase, that would mean a max of $2.8MM for Morris and $3.08MM for Howard.

My assumption is that both players would be able to do better than that on the open market. So if they’re not willing to accept team-friendly discounts to remain in Los Angeles, the Lakers may have to dip into their mid-level exception (projected to be worth $9.26MM) to try to re-sign one or both players.

Carmelo Anthony, F, Trail Blazers

Anthony’s NBA career appeared to be on the verge of ending before he worked out a minimum-salary deal with Portland. He outperformed that modest contract, with 15.4 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .430/.385/.845 shooting in 58 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2019/20.

Like Howard, Anthony would be limited to a ’20/21 salary of $3.08MM via his Non-Bird rights. If the Blazers need to go higher than that to retain him, they’ll have to repeat a move they used last summer, when they re-signed Non-Bird free agent Rodney Hood with their taxpayer mid-level exception in order to give him a raise.

Jeff Green, F, Rockets

Green was underwhelming during his brief stint with Utah early in the 2019/20 season, but he thrived in Houston, averaging 12.2 PPG on .564/.354/.857 shooting in 18 games (22.6 MPG) as part of the club’s micro-ball lineup. He was nearly as good in the postseason, with 11.6 PPG on .495/.426/.824 shooting in an increased role (28.6 MPG).

Green hasn’t signed a contract worth more than the minimum since 2016, so it’s possible that’s all it will take for Houston or another team to sign him this fall. That’d be a best-case scenario for the Rockets, given how well he fit in their system down the stretch — topping any rival offer exceeding $3.08MM would mean dipping into the mid-level or bi-annual.

Reggie Jackson, G, Clippers

Like most players on the buyout market, Jackson signed a minimum-salary contract with the Clippers to finish out the season, meaning the team will be limited to an offer starting at about $2.8MM.

Jackson was pretty good for the Clippers in 17 regular season games, knocking down 41.3% of his three-point attempts and chipping in 9.5 PPG and 3.2 APG. But he fell out of the rotation in the second round of the playoffs vs. Denver, and the Clippers will likely be looking to upgrade the point guard position this fall. A reunion probably doesn’t make sense for either side, especially if Jackson can get offers exceeding the Non-Bird limit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Tyronn Lue’s Head Coaching Interviews

October 6th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue has met with the Pelicans and Clippers about their respective head coaching openings, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), who reports that Lue’s interview with the Rockets will take place at some point this week.

Previously, a report stated that Lue was meeting with those teams on three consecutive days from Friday to Sunday. However, Stein explains that the Houston meeting – initially scheduled for Sunday – has been pushed back a little.

Lue has been linked to five head coaching vacancies already this year. Although the Sixers and Nets ultimately went in different directions, he remains a viable candidate for a few of the remaining open jobs.

Having spent the 2019/20 season as a Clippers assistant, Lue was considered one of the early frontrunners to replace Doc Rivers in L.A., and his history with Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin makes him a strong contender in New Orleans as well.

Lue doesn’t have an obvious connection to Houston — he played for the Rockets in 2004 but that was two years before current head of basketball operations Daryl Morey joined the organization. Still, his championship pedigree and his experience coaching a superstar like LeBron James has made him an intriguing candidate for any team with title aspirations.

John Lucas Emerging As Coaching Candidate For Rockets

October 5th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran coach John Lucas is an emerging candidate in the Rockets‘ search for a new head coach, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

As Stein notes (via Twitter), Lucas has spent the last four seasons working as a player development coach on Mike D’Antoni‘s staff in Houston, and has developed strong relationships with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

A former first overall pick as an NBA player, Lucas transitioned to coaching in the early 1990s and has spent time as a head coach for the Spurs, Sixers, and Cavaliers. The 66-year-old was also an assistant for the Nuggets and Clippers before eventually joining the Rockets in 2016.

According to reports in August, Lucas was among the coaches who made a strong impression on players with his comments during the meeting in the Orlando bubble as they weighed whether or not to resume the season following their boycott.

Houston is taking its time as it seeks a replacement for D’Antoni, having reportedly met with Tyronn Lue on Sunday. Former NBA head coaches Jeff Van Gundy and Kenny Atkinson have also been linked to the job, as have current assistants like Sam Cassell, David Vanterpool, and Chris Finch.

Lue To Meet With Clippers On Saturday, Rockets On Sunday

October 2nd, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

It will be a busy weekend for coaching candidate Tyronn Lue, who has three meetings lined up in a three-day span with teams seeking new head coaches. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Lue is scheduled to talk to the Pelicans on Friday, Clippers on Saturday, and Rockets on Sunday.

A report earlier this week from The Philadelphia Inquirer indicated that – after interviewing with the Sixers on Tuesday – Lue was set to talk to New Orleans on Friday and Houston next week. Multiple reports have since confirmed that he’s a prime candidate to be promoted in Los Angeles. However, Haynes’ report is the first time we’ve learned specific dates for Lue’s initial meetings with the Clippers and Rockets.

While this series of interviews is a reminder that Lue is drawing real interest from multiple teams, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be the first choice for one or more of those clubs. And it’s unclear which team would be his first choice if he receives more than one offer.

Having spent the 2019/20 season as an assistant under Doc Rivers, Lue is most familiar with the Clippers and is believed to be an early frontrunner for that position. But he’s certainly not a shoo-in for the job, as L.A. is expected to conduct a full-fledged search.

Lue’s connection with Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin – the duo worked together in Cleveland – could help give him a leg up for that job. However, New Orleans is reportedly expected to bring in at least two or three finalists before making a decision.

David Vanterpool Interviewing With Rockets

October 2nd, 2020 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool will be among the candidates interviewing for the Rockets‘ head coaching job, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Vanterpool is also believed to be a candidate for Indiana and Oklahoma City, and was considered by Chicago before the club hired Billy Donovan.
Confirming a previous report from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that Tyronn Lue has meetings lined up with the Pelicans and Rockets. Lue is also a leading candidate for the Clippers‘ job, and Woj notes that L.A. is expected to begin meeting with candidates soon.

Rockets Receive Permission To Interview Unseld Jr., Silas

September 30th, 2020 at 6:37pm CST by Jovan Alford

With Mike D’Antoni not returning next season, the Rockets are beginning their search for a new head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Houston has received permission to interview Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle initially reported the Rockets’ interest in both assistant coaches, along with five other head coaching candidates.

Tyronn Lue Interviews For Sixers’ Coaching Job

September 30th, 2020 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue‘s interview with the Sixers took place as scheduled on Tuesday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that the Clippers assistant also toured the club’s practice facility in Camden, New Jersey as part of the meeting.

Lue met with Sixers co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, as well as general manager Elton Brand, Pompey adds.

Last week, Pompey reported that the 76ers’ coaching search appeared to be down to two candidates: Lue and Mike D’Antoni. The belief is that team ownership prefers D’Antoni, but Lue remains in the running and is interested in the job. If he’s going to land it though, he may have to beat out not just D’Antoni but a new contender — Pompey confirms that Philadelphia has reached out to Doc Rivers‘ representatives following his exit from the Clippers.

It remains to be seen how serious the Sixers are about Rivers, or vice versa. Rivers appears to be happy living in Southern California, according to Pompey, who speculates that the uncertainty surrounding the 2020/21 schedule may increase the odds that the former Clippers coach sits out the season. Rivers’ contract with L.A. still had two years left on it, so he’ll be comfortable financially for a while.

Before Rivers and the Clippers parted ways, sources told Pompey that the Sixers would prefer to name a coach this week.

If the Sixers don’t act soon on Lue, he’ll have plenty of other options to explore. Sources tell Pompey that the Pelicans are expected to have an informal meeting with Lue on Friday and that he’s scheduled to interview with the Rockets next week. He’s also believed to be a candidate to replace Rivers in Los Angeles.