Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Butler, Capela, Walker, Doncic

October 7th, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets haven’t given up hope on trading for Jimmy Butler, but they’re planning for the season with their current roster, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Houston has been among the most persistent suitors for Butler, but hasn’t come close to meeting the Timberwolves’ asking price, which reportedly remains very high.

The Rockets’ front office is skeptical that Minnesota is serious about dealing away Butler, Amick adds. There is a belief that Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau still hopes Butler can be convinced to stay despite his public trade request and the ongoing tension in the locker room. This comes on the heels of a similar report out of Los Angeles that the Clippers have tried to make a deal and objections from Miami about Minnesota’s asking price.

There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:

His teammates are now calling him “Swiss Bank,” but Rockets center Clint Capela insists he won’t be changed by the five-year, $80MM contract he signed this summer, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. A restricted free agent, Capela was hoping to receive a maximum or near-max offer sheet. Although that never came and negotiations dragged on for nearly a month, he wound up with a sizable deal to stay in Houston. “The money is not weighing him down, I can tell you that,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s been great. I think he looks about how he looked halfway through the year.”
The torn meniscus that is expected to keep Spurs rookie Lonnie Walker out for six to eight weeks is the second one of his career, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express News. He suffered the same injury last July before his freshman season at Miami and was ready for the opening game in November. Walker will have knee surgery Monday and a more exact timetable will be set for his return.
Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic has drawn rave reviews during the preseason, but he needs to cut down on turnovers, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has given the ball up eight times in 60 minutes of action, with four of those coming on traveling calls. “The behind the back [passes] and all that is good when it goes well,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He threw one of them to somebody over in the second row one time. We’ve got to correct that. He’s adapting to the different ways they call traveling in the NBA. In Europe, they had a different interpretation of it.”

Rockets Had Offseason Interest In Kevon Looney

October 5th, 2018 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Kevon Looney drew lukewarm interest from a handful of teams in free agency, he revealed to Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News. The Rockets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Sixers and Hawks made contact but “nobody really offered,” Looney said. He was an unrestricted free agent after Golden State declined to pick up his option last fall but he settled for a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal.

Newcomers Off To Strong Start

October 5th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Offseason additions Michael Carter-Williams, James Ennis, Gary Clark, Marquese Chriss and Bruno Caboclo — along with Carmelo Anthony — have made a strong impression on the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Most of those players will contribute off the bench for Houston this season. “That second unit, they’ve been whupping on us,” reigning MVP James Harden said.

Rockets Envision Role For Marquese Chriss

October 4th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets hope Marquese Chriss will develop into the type of backup center they thought they acquired when they signed Brandan Wright late last season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Wright got hurt quickly and only played one game for Houston, but the team sees Chriss as the same style of player, a mobile big man who can attack the rim on pick-and-rolls.

Chriss was acquired from the Suns at the end of August in the trade that sent Ryan Anderson to Phoenix. The former eighth overall pick had a solid debut for the Rockets on Tuesday with 11 points and four rebounds and welcomes a more defined role.

Wolves Tell Teams To Improve Their Offers For Jimmy Butler

October 3rd, 2018 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves continue to focus on the Heat in Jimmy Butler trade talks and have informed other interested teams over the past 24 hours that their offers aren’t good enough, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Minnesota plans to hold onto Butler until it gets a deal it likes.

Miami has been close to working out a trade for Butler over the past several days and pushed the Wolves’ front office for a decision on its latest offer today, sources tell Wojnarowski. Butler reportedly wants to join the Heat and would be willing to re-sign with the organization when he opts out of his current deal next summer. He has also expressed interest in the Clippers, Nets and Knicks, who should all have enough money next year to offer a maximum deal to another free agent.

Minnesota has focused on Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson and a protected first-rounder for 2019 in trade talks, Wojnarowski adds. The Wolves would also like to shed the contract of Gorgui Dieng, who is owed more than $48MM over the next three seasons. A larger deal involving more players or additional teams may be necessary to make the trade work.

The Rockets remain aggressive in their pursuit of Butler, even though they are already well into luxury tax territory. Like Miami, Houston won’t have cap room next summer and has no hope of acquiring Butler without a trade.

Butler hasn’t joined the Wolves for training camp, but coach/executive Tom Thibodeau plans to appeal for him to return when the team returns from its West Coast trip tomorrow, according to Wojnarowski. Butler still has soreness in his wrist following offseason surgery and hasn’t made a decision about when he might rejoin the team if no deal gets done. Sources told ESPN he won’t miss regular season games if he is healthy enough to play.

Butler has been working out at Minnesota’s practice facility and has remained in contact with several of his teammates.

Heat Remain Favorites To Land Jimmy Butler

October 2nd, 2018 at 5:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat remain the favorites to land Jimmy Butler should the Timberwolves trade him away, Marc Stein of The New York Times relays. Miami is Butler’s preferred destination and owner Glen Taylor has been informed of the four-time All-Star’s preference.

Stein writes that Butler’s preference matters in this situation because the wing can become a free agent after the season. Miami doesn’t want to wait for Butler and has been trying “as hard as anyone” in the league to put together a package that Minnesota will accept. Stein expects the Heat to find a deal that works for the Wolves, as attempting to reintegrate Butler with all of the tension between the two sides would be a difficult feat.

Miami won’t have the cap space to sign Butler outright next summer, so Minnesota seemingly holds some leverage in the trade negotiations. Butler’s camp is reportedly frustrated by the lack of progress on a deal and they have seriously questioned whether the team’s front office is legitimately trying to find a solution on the trade market.

Team president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden were initially against trading Butler and appear to have a high asking price in negotiations with other teams. The Wolves reportedly asked the Sixers for Ben Simmons in a deal and sources within interested teams believe the counter-offers received by Minnesota are “downright delusional.”

The Rockets have pursued a Butler deal and Stein believes Houston would have to package Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker along with some draft picks to land Butler. The scribe adds that the Wolves would prefer not to send him to the Rockets and help Daryl Morey’s squad become more of a superpower than they already are.

Minnesota opens up the season on October 17 against the Spurs. The club has four remaining preseason games, including Wednesday night’s tilt with the Clippers.

Southwest Notes: Anthony, Okafor, Randle, Grizzlies

September 30th, 2018 at 10:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Carmelo Anthony is looking to make the game fun again in his first season with the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Anthony is set to enter his 16th professional season, with the 34-year-old having his vision set on winning an NBA championship.

“Just enjoy the game and play basketball … I’ve been doing it for a long time,” Anthony said. “I still know how to do it. I’ve just got to make it fun. The game just has to be fun.”

The Rockets are expected to be a championship contender this season, with the team featuring a deep bench, star center and All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and James Harden. The level of production Anthony gives will help determine how far the team gets in its journey.

“He’s a great basketball player, so we just try to make it optimal for him and us,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s always a little bit of a challenge, but if you had asked me the same question (last year) about James and Chris I would have said the same thing: ‘Well, it looks good. I’m excited.’ So same thing with him.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor will undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering an ankle injury during Sunday’s preseason game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Okafor left the arena on crutches with his ankle taped.
Over 25 teams expressed a level of interest in Julius Randle during his brief time as a free agent, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Randle eventually chose to sign a two-year deal with the Pelicans.
Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff hopes Garrett Temple‘s impact on the team doesn’t go unnoticed, Drew Hill of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. “I’m used to (going unnoticed). It’s normal to me,” Temple said. “But, I’m glad that (Bickerstaff) sees my value. The people in the locker room and the people in this organization, at this point, those are the only ones that matter.”

Rockets Making Strong Effort To Land Jimmy Butler

September 27th, 2018 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets are making a “strong effort” to acquire Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Timberwolves, sources tell Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman’s report comes after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated on Wednesday that Houston was pursuing Butler.

Wojnarowski, who suggested that the Rockets were “trying to be creative” as they explored trade possibilities for Butler, wrote that it would be tricky for the club to pull off a deal for the All-NBA wing without involving a third team. Berman, meanwhile, doesn’t offer much in the way of specifics.

It’s hard to imagine Houston being able to trade for Butler without giving up Eric Gordon, whose $13MM+ salary would make for a good salary-matching piece and whose ability to make an immediate impact might appeal to Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Rockets also have full control over their future first-round picks, though the value of their 2019 selection would be limited, since it’s likely to fall in the late-20s.

Although the Rockets are apparently pushing to land Butler, they’re not the only team involved. Wojnarowski’s report on Thursday named the Clippers and Cavaliers as other clubs in the mix, with the Heat still considered the most aggressive suitors. The Wizards and Mavericks have also gauged the asking price on Butler, while the Nets have interest but haven’t engaged Minnesota recently, per Woj.

Here’s more on Butler:

The Heat are open to the idea of taking on Gorgui Dieng‘s contract from the Timberwolves “under the right circumstances,” according to Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski indicates that potential trade partners are skeptical of Thibodeau’s willingness to move Butler, since he’s making counter-offers he knows would never be accepted. In an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided an example, reporting that the Timberwolves asked for Ben Simmons when they made a counter-offer to the Sixers (hat tip to Dane Delgado of NBC Sports). We passed along a report earlier today suggesting that Philadelphia has since pulled out of the Butler sweepstakes.
The Nuggets were mentioned several days ago as a potential dark horse for Butler, but T.J. McBride of Mile High Sports hears that Denver views Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris as “untouchable” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). A trade for an All-Star like Butler is probably a long shot without any of those players involved.
Earlier today, we relayed an update on the Kings‘ potential involvement in the Butler talks — Sacramento is still interested in getting involved as a facilitator, but will be cautious about adding too much multiyear money to its cap.

Rockets Notes: Gordon, D’Antoni, Hartenstein, MCW

September 27th, 2018 at 10:13pm CST by JD Shaw

Rockets guard Eric Gordon is unlikely to sign a contract extension with the team at this point, the 29-year-old said this week, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Gordon’s representatives spoke with Rockets management about a potential extension this summer, but talks didn’t advance past the initial stage.

Gordon is set to enter the third season of his four-year, $52MM contract, establishing himself as a valuable scorer off the Rockets’ bench. Since Houston is over the salary cap, the club could only offer a starting salary worth up to 120% of Gordon’s $14MM salary for 2019/20 in any potential extension, according to Feigen. The team can then offer 8% raises for the following seasons, but the thought of receiving better offers in the free agency of 2020 likely intrigues Gordon more.

“There were extension talks, but nothing really serious,” Gordon said. “I would much rather be here (in Houston) as long as I can. Everything will work out. I’ll be here another two years. We’ll see what happens. I’ll see how the next two years go, but I would definitely like to be here the rest of my career.”

There’s more from the Rockets:

Houston exercised its 2019/20 option on head coach Mike D’Antoni over the summer, but hopes to retain him for many years beyond that, Feigen writes in a separate column. “Mike is going to be here as long as we can keep him here,” Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said.
Several players are competing for the Rockets’ backup center position, Feigen notes, but 20-year-old Isaiah Hartenstein appears to have a decisive lead just three days into camp.
Michael Carter-Williams hopes to take advantage of his versatility this season, Feigen writes, which could allow him to see minutes at the wing positions. “I definitely need to take a look at several positions,” Carter-Williams said.

Heat Now Atop Jimmy Butler’s Wish List?

September 26th, 2018 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

4:57pm: According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Heat have been the most engaged team with the Wolves on a potential Butler trade. Meanwhile, neither the Clippers nor Nets have gained much traction on a potential deal. Also, the Rockets have apparently joined the sweepstakes, but it will be a significant challenge to pursue Butler without a third team.

8:50am: Jimmy Butler and agent Bernie Lee have informed Timberwolves ownership that the Heat are the 29-year-old’s preferred trade destination, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). It’s an apparent change of course for Butler, whose initial wish list included the Clippers, Nets, and Knicks, but not Miami.

We heard earlier this week that the Heat had been as aggressive as any team in their pursuit of Butler, and Stein reiterates that point today, noting that more than 20 teams have at least inquired with the Timberwolves about their All-NBA wing (Twitter link). According to Stein, the Heat – like many teams – have found it hard to get the Wolves to clearly communicate their intentions and their asking price, but Miami is a landing spot that “strongly appeals” to Butler.

The Heat would be an interesting trade partner for the Timberwolves, whose head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau wants to remain in win-now mode rather than acquiring exclusively draft picks and young prospects in a Butler deal. Miami would like to hang onto Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo, but could put Justise Winslow and/or a 2019 first-round pick on the table. The Heat are also carrying several veterans whose contracts would align well with Butler’s for salary-matching purposes.

If Miami – or any other team – acquires Butler in a trade, his Bird rights would be dealt along with him, giving his new club the ability to offer a five-year deal worth up to a projected $190MM in free agency next summer.

While a Butler trade still appears likely to happen sooner rather than later, a pair of Tuesday reports indicated that teams with interest in the four-time All-Star have been receiving mixed signals from the Timberwolves on what kind of assets they value. Clubs who have spoken to the Wolves are also confused about whether to deal with owner Glen Taylor or front office execs Thibodeau and Scott Layden, since there’s a perception that the management and ownership groups may not be in agreement on the structure and timetable of a potential trade.