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NBA’s Clippers/Rockets Probe Focusing On Ariza

January 17th, 2018 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s investigation into the postgame incident between the Rockets and Clippers in Los Angeles on Monday night is focused on Trevor Ariza, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, Ariza has been “isolated as the person most responsible” for the Rockets’ attempt to get into the Clippers’ locker room.

Ariza, who got into it with Blake Griffin during the game, resulting in ejections for both players, was waiting on Griffin after the game, a Rockets source told Lee Jenkins of SI.com. A source also told Jenkins that teammates James Harden, Chris Paul, and Gerald Green were holding Ariza back when he attempted to get into the Clippers’ locker room to confront Griffin and Austin Rivers.

Wojnarowski hears similar rumblings, writing that Paul and Harden are “increasingly described” as having attempted to cool down Ariza. However, Woj does note that some sources on the Clippers’ side insist that Paul “eagerly entered” the home locker room through the back entrance, as we detailed on Tuesday.

The NBA interviewed several executives, coaches, players, and security personnel during the 24 hours following the incident, and those discussions are expected to continue today, league sources tell Wojnarowski. It remains to be seen whether fines and/or suspensions will be announced before the Clippers host Denver on Wednesday night. The Rockets’ next game takes place on Thursday night in Houston.

NBA Investigating Rockets/Clippers Incident

January 16th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

10:09am: There will be “no shortage of punished individuals” as a result of the NBA’s investigation into last night’s incident in Los Angeles, tweets Wojnarowski. That investigation began late last night and continues into today.

8:26am: Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles took an unexpected turn on Monday night after the Clippers beat the Rockets in a testy contest that featured multiple ejections. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports, tensions boiled over after game, with a handful of Rockets players looking to confront Austin Rivers and Blake Griffin in the Clippers’ locker room.

According to Wojnarowski, Paul, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, and Gerald Green walked through a back hallway to reach the Clippers’ locker room, where several L.A. players “dared the Rockets to come farther into the room.” However, security and team officials quickly stepped in and pushed the Rockets back toward their locker room, per Wojnarowski.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Rockets were upset with Rivers, who was described as “especially belligerent” during the late stages of the Clippers’ win, despite standing on the sideline in street clothes (he’s still recovering from an ankle injury). Griffin was also involved in confrontations with Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and Ariza during the game, leading to his ejection.

While the details of Wojnarowski’s report are bizarre and fascinating, it appears the locker-room incident didn’t escalate beyond some shouting. “It was classic NBA,” one Clipper witness told Woj. “None of these guys were going to fight.”

Nonetheless, the NBA intends to investigate the matter and will begin to gather information on Tuesday, Wojnarowski writes. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the league announces fines and/or suspensions at some point this week, with the Rockets seemingly likely to be hit with harsher penalties.

Rockets Sign Markel Brown To Two-Way Contract

January 15th, 2018 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:15pm: The Rockets officially signed Brown to a two-way deal and cut Weber, the team announced tonight in a press release.

5:51pm: The Rockets plan to sign Markel Brown to a two-way contract and release guard Briante Weber, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

Brown has been playing for the Thunder’s G League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, after getting waived by the Thunder during training camp. Brown appeared in 22 games with the Blue, averaging 17.4 PPG in 31.4 MPG. Brown hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2015/16 season. He saw extensive action for two seasons with the Nets, appearing in 109 games and averaging 5.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.2 APG in 16.2 MPG.

Brown will give Houston a little more depth at the two-guard spot.

Weber had used up a good portion of his 45-day limit of NBA service. Houston decided to bring in another player with NBA experience who could restart the clock in terms of service time. Weber appeared in 13 games with the Rockets, averaging 2.0 PPG in 9.1 MPG. All but four of those appearances came over the last 11 games after James Harden was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Sixers Sign Demetrius Jackson To Two-Way Deal

January 15th, 2018 at 4:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:58pm: The signing is official, per team release.

4:42pm: The Sixers will sign guard Demetrius Jackson to a two-way contract and release forward James Michael McAdoo, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

Jackson signed a two-way deal with the Rockets during the offseason after the Celtics waived him. Houston terminated Jackson’s contract and then signed him to a 10-day deal earlier this month. However, he did not figure in the Rockets’ plans and the 10-day deal bought him and his representatives time to find a better situation.

The 6’1” point guard made 12 cameo appearances with the Rockets, playing an average of 5.3 MPG. The Notre Dame product played five games for Boston last season after being selected in the second round as the No. 45 overall pick in 2016.

He’ll provide depth behind T.J. McConnell, Jerryd Bayless and top pick Markelle Fultz, who has been plagued by shoulder woes in his rookie campaign.

McAdoo signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia in late August but appeared in just three games.

James Harden May Return As Early As Thursday

January 15th, 2018 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni hopes that James Harden will be able to return from his hamstring injury before the end of this week, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN details. “It could be Thursday or Saturday, I don’t know,” D’Antoni said on Sunday. “He’s got to get better. We’ll see. Whenever he’s ready.” Harden would presumably like to be back on the court for those showdowns later this week against Minnesota (Thursday) and Golden State (Saturday).

R.J. Hunter Signs Two-Way Contract With Rockets

January 15th, 2018 at 8:16am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 15, 8:16am: Hunter’s two-way contract with the Rockets became official on Sunday, per RealGM’s transactions log.

JANUARY 13, 4:08pm: The Rockets will sign G League guard R.J. Hunter to a two-way contract on Sunday, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Hunter has been playing for the organization’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, where he is averaging 19.0 points in 23 games. He has struggled to find a spot in the NBA after being taken by the Celtics with the 28th pick in 2015. He played 36 games with Boston and another three with Chicago, but most of his experience has been in the G League.

The Rockets have a two-way slot open after terminating their deal with Demetrius Jackson last week. When Hunter signs tomorrow, he’ll have 22 days of NBA eligibility.

Rockets Recall Injured Zhou Qi

January 11th, 2018 at 10:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have recalled forward Zhou Qi from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets, but he’s still recovering from an elbow injury.

James Harden's Return Not Yet Imminent

January 11th, 2018 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

James Harden is showing signs of improvement as he recovers from a strained hamstring, but the Rockets‘ star guard won’t get the chance to lobby for a quicker return to the court, Mike D’Antoni said on Wednesday, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

“I walk into there to the trainers,” the Rockets head coach said. “‘Can he play?’ ‘No.’ Then he can’t play. There is no challenge. He’s going to try to push the envelope because he wants to play. That’s on trainers and doctors. I don’t figure into it. He’d beat me up.”

The Rockets announced on January 1 that Harden would be re-evaluated in two weeks, so he’s likely still at least a few days away from returning to action.

Decision May Loom Regarding Weber; Green Had Drawn Zero Interest Before Signing

January 7th, 2018 at 8:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets may have a looming decision to make with regard to Briante Weber, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Because of the 45-day limit on his two-way contract Houston may need to convert his deal into a standard one if they plan to keep featuring him while James Harden recovers from an injury.
Houston native and recent Rockets addition Gerald Green has made an impact in his brief time with the franchise, averaging 19.8 points per game off the bench in his last five games. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes there wasn’t much of a market for his services prior to his signing. “No team wanted me, man. No team wanted me. No team wanted me,” Green said. “No overseas team. Not even a D-League team. So this is the only team that took a chance on me. For me, I’m just so overwhelmed and excited about the opportunity.“

Rockets Sign Demetrius Jackson To 10-Day Contract

January 6th, 2018 at 11:36am CST by marksuleymanov

The Rockets have terminated their two-way deal with point guard Demetrius Jackson, tweets Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. As Johnson notes, Jackson has signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets. However, he does not figure into the team’s plans, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Jackson, 23, will spend time with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and appear in the G League showcase during his 10-day deal. The second-round pick (45th overall) from the 2016 NBA Draft appeared in 12 games with the Rockets this season, averaging just 0.7 PPG and 0.9 RPG. In 14 games with the Valley Vipers, Jackson has averaged 14.0 PPG and 4.1 APG in 30.9 minutes per game.

After he was waived by the Celtics in the offseason, Jackson signed a two-way deal with the Rockets, becoming the first player in franchise history to sign such a deal. Jackson saw more playing time early in the season when Chris Paul was out with injury but lagged on the depth chart behind Bobby Brown as the backup.