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Carmelo Anthony: “I Want Another Shot”

August 2nd, 2019 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing today on ESPN’s First Take, Carmelo Anthony told Stephen A. Smith that the end of his tenure with the Rockets left a bad taste in mouth and made him question whether he wanted to continue trying to play in the NBA (video link).

However, after taking some time off to consider his options, Anthony remains committed to finding a new NBA home, he tells Smith. According to Carmelo, he’s “in the gym every single day” as he works toward a comeback.

“I love the game too much to be away from it,” Anthony said (video link).

During a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” Anthony’s trainer Chris Brickley suggested that the 10-time All-Star wants a “farewell season” like the one Dwyane Wade had. That assertion was met with some criticism, but Anthony made it clear in his conversation on First Take today that the idea of a “farewell season” wasn’t coming from him.

“I never said anything about a farewell tour,” Anthony said, per ESPN. The former All-NBA forward added that he feels as if “there’s too many people speaking on my name, and I don’t like that” (video link).

While Anthony disputed one of Brickley’s claims, he agreed with another — Carmelo’s trainer said during his Breakfast Club appearance that the 35-year-old is ready and willing to play a reduced role, a point Anthony reiterated to Smith.

“What’s going to make me happy is going to a place, playing basketball, enjoying it again, [and] accepting a role that I might not normally have accepted in the past,” Anthony said. “I don’t mind coming off the bench, that’s not an issue with me.”

Asked by Smith which team he might like to join, Anthony didn’t name any specific clubs, but he stressed two priorities — competing for a championship and ideally earning consistent playing time in the process.

“I went to Oklahoma City to try to win a championship. I went to Houston to try to win a championship. The ultimate goal is to win a championship. That’s the only thing left for me to do is to win a championship.” Anthony said (video link). “But I also want to play. I want to get back out there on the court. I miss the game. I was away from the game for damn near a whole season.

“I got an opportunity to step back, I got an opportunity to grow as a person, as a man. And I deserve another shot. I want another shot. I’ll never stop loving the game until I decide to say ‘This is over’ and I can pass that on to somebody else.”

As we noted in our recap of NBA roster counts earlier today, only six of 30 teams currently have 15 (or more) players on fully guaranteed contracts on their rosters, so there could still be some landing spots available to Anthony as training camps approach.

Clippers/Lakers To Headline NBA’s 2019 Christmas Day Schedule

August 2nd, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has set its Christmas Day schedule for the 2019/20 season, according to reports from multiple ESPN writers. Adrian Wojnarowski, Tim Bontemps, and Malika Andrews have details on the five games set for December 25, 2019.

While the order and times of the games haven’t yet been confirmed, these are the five matchups we’ll see on Christmas Day this December, per ESPN’s reporting:

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors
New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets

The Clippers/Lakers and Bucks/Sixers matchups will pit the two current favorites from the Western and Eastern Conferences against one another. Those games figure to be the headliners of the day, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George squaring off against LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid going head-to-head.

The Rockets/Warriors game – a rematch of the most competitive Western postseason rivalry of the last two years – should be an entertaining showdown as well, even without Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson in the picture. James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and D’Angelo Russell will still provide plenty of star power.

The defending champion Raptors will make a rare Christmas Day appearance, hosting the new-look Celtics, led by Kemba Walker. It’ll also be a rare December 25 home game for the Nuggets, who will take on the young, up-and-coming Pelicans and No. 1 pick Zion Williamson.

Which Christmas Day game are you most looking forward to in 2019? Are there any teams or matchups you’re disappointed to see (or not see) on the December 25 schedule? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Rockets Waive Deyonta Davis, Chris Chiozza

July 31st, 2019 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have waived a pair of players who had non-guaranteed salaries for the 2019/20 season, parting ways with big man Deyonta Davis and guard Chris Chiozza, per Alykhan Bijani and Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis spent much of the 2018/19 season with the Warriors’ G League team before earning a late-season call-up from the Hawks. Davis averaged 4.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in nine games (13.1 MPG) with Atlanta down the stretch, signing a contract with the club that included a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2019/20. However, he was waived by Atlanta last month.

The Rockets claimed Davis on waivers, perhaps viewing him as a potential offseason trade chip. But his $1,645,357 salary would have become partially guaranteed for $250K if he remained under contract through July 31, according to Basketball Insiders. Houston won’t be on the hook for that money.

As for Chiozza, the former Florida point guard signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets in February, then inked a three-year deal with the club in March. The final two years of that contract were non-guaranteed, so Houston also won’t owe him any money now that he has been released.

With two extra roster spots now open, the Rockets may be eyeing former first-round pick Terrence Jones for a potential camp deal. Clutch Fans first reported (via Twitter) that Houston was considering bringing back Jones, while Iko suggested in a mailbag this week that the power forward would “soon” join the team.

The 27-year-old has appeared in 180 regular season games for the Rockets since being selected 18th overall by the organization in the 2012 draft.

Western Notes: Rockets, Wolves, Kawhi

July 30th, 2019 at 11:05pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Eric Gordon could end up in the backup wing spot for the Rockets when the season begins, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Houston has depth at the guard position but lacks it in the three/four spots.

Houston still has interest in Andre Iguodala, though Memphis appears to be holding out for a first-round pick, which could be a deal-breaker. J.R. Smith is a possibility. He had his best season under coach Mike D’Antoni when the pair was in New York, though Iko cautions that he hasn’t heard any new developments when it comes to bringing the 3-point marksman to Houston.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Iko doesn’t see Kevin Love as a realistic target for the Rockets, as he explains in the same piece. Love’s salary, which comes in at just under $29MM for the upcoming year, makes a trade difficult for the two parties.
Britt Robson of The Athletic examines how the Timberwolves’ current roster fits in with the team’s blueprint for the future. The team failed to pair Karl-Anthony Towns with another All-Star but smartly opted against overspending on middling talent. Minnesota’s 2019 free agent spending spree wasn’t a wild one, as the club brought in five players who combined will make approximately $11MM this upcoming season.
Kawhi Leonard attempted to get the Spurs to trade for Paul George while he was in San Antonio, as he tells ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (h/t Justin Russo on Twitter). Leonard was originally drafted with the No. 15 overall pick by Indiana, the team George previously played for. The Pacers traded Leonard’s rights on draft night, but George wishes Indiana had kept him, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “It seems like this was destiny that we were supposed to play together,” George said of his new Clippers teammate.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Bird, Westbrook, Presti

July 29th, 2019 at 8:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Keeping his young core group together is enough to make the Nuggets a prime Western Conference contender, general manager Arturas Karnisovas told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on “The Woj Pod” (hat tip to the Denver Post’s Mike Singer).

“Definitely we’re banking on our continuity,” the Nuggets GM said. “A lot of teams that made changes and added huge pieces and stars, they’re still dealing in hypotheticals. We’ve watched this group show us last year, take us to a 54-28 season, having the best home record, 34-7, so this group is (established) and they’re still the third youngest group in the league.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Longtime WNBA star Sue Bird has a wide variety of duties as a basketball operations associate with the Nuggets during her league’s offseason, as Alex Coffey of The Athletic details. She observes games and practices, sits in on front office meetings, watches film and helps scouting college and international players. She also provided advice to point guard Monte Morris, which he found insightful. “She helped me stay encouraged when things were getting tough,” Morris said. “She would tell me things she noticed in how I played. It wasn’t always positive. There were times when she was like, ‘This guy’s guarding you this way. Try to counter him this way.’ Just little things like that.”
The Thunder have lost superstars before but the trade of Russell Westbrook to the Rockets has left a void, as Brett Dawson of The Athletic details. The bond between Westbrook and the city was stronger than any other star player.
Thunder GM Sam Presti remains hopeful the team can be fairly competitive next season despite trading away Westbrook and Paul George, Nick Gallo of the team’s website writes. “It’s going to be a different iteration of Thunder team than we’ve seen over the last several years,” Presti said. “The way we were able to pivot has given us the opportunity to have a much brighter future going forward and still have a team coming back this season that we feel good about.”

Houston More Likely To Add Via Trade Than FA

July 28th, 2019 at 2:31pm CST by clarkcrum

As Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on Friday that while Houston is not yet done adding to their 2019/20 roster, the team is much more likely to make further additions by trade rather than via free agency.

Heat Notes: Salary Guarantees, Two-Way Players, Westbrook, Adebayo

July 28th, 2019 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat face three roster decisions this week that will determine how much flexibility they will have heading into training camp, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Thursday is a salary guarantee date for Derrick Jones Jr., Kendrick Nunn and Yante Maten, and with Miami operating under a hard salary cap, every dollar the team spends will be important.

Jones’ $1.6MM salary will become fully guaranteed August 1, and the Heat are almost certain to keep him, according to Winderman. Jones, 22, has made great strides since joining the organization as a two-way player in December of 2017. He was a rotation player last season, averaging 7.0 PPG in 60 games, and his promising future and low salary appear to make this an easy decision.

Nunn also seems likely to be retained, Winderman adds. He was signed on the final day of the regular season and played well in Summer League in both Sacramento and Las Vegas. He cashed in a $50K guarantee on his $1.4MM salary on July 1 and will have that guaranteed bumped to $150K on Thursday, then to $450K if he makes the opening-night roster.

Maten has already received a $100K guarantee and is due for another $50K on Thursday ($150K in total). Because he is already guaranteed more than $50K, he is ineligible for two-way status, and a shaky Summer League performance may make him expendable.

There’s more this morning from South Florida:

The Heat are one of just two teams that haven’t filled any two-way slots yet, and Winderman suggests they could go to two of the three players who will come to camp on Exhibit 10 contracts — Chris Silva, Jeremiah Martin and Kyle Alexander. All three were signed at the end of Summer League.
Even if the Heat had increased their offer for Russell Westbrook, it may not have been enough, Winderman observes in a separate story. The Thunder were willing to give Westbrook his first choice, which was to play alongside his long-time friend James Harden in Houston. Also, the Rockets parted with a generous package of draft picks that was better than what Miami had available.
The invitation to Team USA’s World Cup camp gives more exposure to Bam Adebayo, which should boost his trade value at least slightly, Winderman writes in another story. Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk will both have the chance to improve through this summer’s international competition.

Inside The Rockets’ Trade For Russell Westbrook

July 27th, 2019 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two days before the agreement that brought Russell Westbrook to Houston was completed, Rockets GM Daryl Morey was pessimistic that it would get done, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes in a retrospective of the deal. Feigen traces the steps that led to the Rockets’ latest high-stakes gamble and the Thunder’s decision to part with their franchise player.

Everything began late on July 5 when Kawhi Leonard announced he was joining the Clippers, followed by the news that Oklahoma City was trading Paul George there as well. Morey sent text messages to owner Tilman Fertitta and his son Patrick suggesting that a huge shakeup could be in the works in OKC. Other team officials were included in the discussion the next morning, then Morey talked to James Harden, who had already spoken to Westbrook.

“The discussion at that point among the basketball staff was, ‘Hey, we need to check in and see if this changes the direction.’ I guess there was a thought they might trade other guys like Russell,” Morey said. “You never know. At this point, it was pretty unknown.”

Morey placed a call to Thunder GM Sam Presti, but their early discussions remained general. They spoke frequently over the next few days as international prospects and other players were considered in a deal that eventually became Westbrook for Chris Paul and draft picks. Morey alerted Paul and his representatives that a potential trade was brewing. He also tried unsuccessfully to get a third team involved, although he wouldn’t reveal who he talked to.

“It didn’t seem that there would be a fit for both parties,” Morey said. “I told them (Tilman and Patrick Fertitta) quite a bit that it wasn’t going to happen because that’s what I believed. I didn’t think the pieces lined up. That’s why a three-team deal made sense. And I thought other teams would be more involved than we were; teams that had more fits.”

A day before the deal was completed, Presti expressed a preference for a two-team trade that was heavy on draft picks. The Thunder wound up with Houston’s top-four-protected selections in 2024 and 2026, along with two pick swaps that include top-four protection in 2021 and and top-10 protection in 2025. Once an agreement was reached, Morey tried to expand the deal by involving other teams, but he found interest was low. He said the hardest part was having to tell Paul that their partnership was over after two seasons.

“I hated that call,” Morey said. “I’m sure he hated it more. He’s been such a great player for us. We were moments away from winning a title with him.”

Russell Westbrook Talks Rockets, Harden, OKC

July 27th, 2019 at 10:53am CST by marksuleymanov

After an eventful 11-year run in Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook was officially introduced as the newest member of the Rockets on Friday. For some, it was likely odd to see Westbrook don the Rocket red after it seemed he was destined to conclude his career in a Thunder uniform. For Westbrook, it’s the latest chapter in his pursuit for a championship.

In addition to his new team, Westbrook addressed James Harden, a former teammate in OKC and now his co-star in a chase for the Larry O’Brien trophy. ‘Brodie’ also addressed his departure from the Thunder and how he thinks he will adjust to Houston’s style of play, per ESPN’s Royce Young.

Check out Westbrook’s comments down below:

On leaving Oklahoma City:

“It’s tough. It’s something that will stay with me the rest of my life. Because I basically grew up there, in Oklahoma City. Eighteen years old in Oklahoma City and the people, the organization, never done me wrong. They always stood up for me and my family — always had my back — and I’m very, very grateful and I don’t take that for granted. Like I said, Sam [Presti] and Mr. [Clay] Bennett [OKC’s owner], Coach [Scott] Brooks, Coach [Billy] Donovan, the whole staff, everybody over there always had my best interests, and I can’t do nothing but be thankful and grateful for what they did for me and my family.”

On being teammates with former MVP James Harden:

“We both understand that we have one common goal and that’s to win a championship. We understand what we have to do. I’m not worried about it, and I know James isn’t worried about it. I can play off the ball; I don’t have to touch the ball to impact the game. That’s the best way for me to come in and impact this team. I can do other things on the floor to make sure we have a better chance to win.”

On joining a new system in Houston:

“I’ll fit right in, personally. Floor spread, it gives me the opportunity to attack, penetrate, kick. Defensively, it’ll give me an opportunity to switch and guard and rebound at a high level. Push the break, get us out on the break. A lot of different things. I think the style of play is great, something I’m looking forward to, just getting out in space in the open floor, shooters all around and playing that way.”

Anthony Bennett Signs With Rockets

July 25th, 2019 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 25: The Rockets have officially signed Bennett, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

JULY 12: Forward Anthony Bennett has agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Rockets, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Bennett would appear to be a long shot to make the 15-man roster.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 draft bided his time in the G League last season with the Agua Caliente Clippers. He appeared in 25 games last season and averaged 12.2 PPG in 20.9 MPG. He played in 35 G League games the previous season.

After the Cavaliers gave up on him, Bennett played for the Timberwolves, Raptors and Nets. He also played in Turkey for part of the 2017 season. In 151 NBA games, Bennett has averaged 4.4 PPG in 12.6 MPG.