Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Anthony, Simmons, Mavericks, Rondo

July 16th, 2017 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Houston continues to be the preferred destination for Carmelo Anthony, but former Rockets coach and ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy doesn’t see the high-scoring forward as a “natural fit” for the team, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Van Gundy, who still lives in Houston, believes the Rockets need to focus on defense in any future transactions. “I think they have a lot on their plate integrating [Chris] Paul and [James] Harden,” Van Gundy said. “They’re not going to be better offensively than they were last year. They were the second-best team in the league offensively. I thought they had defined roles everyone knew.”

Efforts to work out a four-team trade that would send Anthony to Houston are currently on hold as new Knicks GM Scott Perry hopes for a face-to-face meeting with his star player before proceeding. New York officials would like Anthony, who can block any deal with a no-trade clause, to expand the list of teams he is willing to join, which reportedly now just includes the Rockets and Cavaliers.

There’s more this morning from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs never made a serious attempt to keep Jonathon Simmons, tweets Casey Keirnan of News 4 San Antonio. Simmons agreed to a three-year, $20MM deal with the Magic on Friday after the Spurs pulled his qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent. Despite reports that San Antonio was trying to retain Simmons, the team never made him an offer apart from the QO, sources tell Keirnan.
The Mavericks are taking an international approach to rebuilding their roster, notes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. This week’s signing of German star Maxi Kleber could give them as many as seven international players at training camp. Joining roster holdovers Dirk Nowitzki, J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri will be Kleber, Nico Brussino and Ding Yanyuhang. However, Brussino’s $1,312,611 salary for next season won’t be guaranteed until Thursday, so he may be somewhere else when camp opens. “You want good players, and it doesn’t matter where you find them,” said president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson. “There are players all over the world. It’s our job to know where they are.”
After reaching an agreement Saturday with Rajon Rondo, the Pelicans plan to use him and fellow point guard Jrue Holiday as their backcourt starters, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rondo’s friendship with former Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins was a factor in choosing New Orleans, Spears indicates.

Rockets Notes: Harden, Anthony, Paul

July 15th, 2017 at 10:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

James Harden, who recently signed a four-year extension with the Rockets, wants to remain with the franchise for the rest of his career, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays.

“I know where home is,” said Harden. “I know where I want to be. I know where I want to retire ultimately and where I want to win a championship. Everything is going to happen here in Houston, and that’s the reason I’m here forever.”

Harden had two seasons left on his current deal before he committed to the four additional years with the team. GM Daryl Morey said inking the 5-time All-Star for the maximum salary over the maximum amount of years was an “easy” decision for the franchise.

“We would do more if we could,” Morey said. “This is the most they allow us to do. You work your whole career if you’re myself to get a player of James’ caliber and now Chris [Paul‘s] caliber. We’re excited. … We would have done longer and more money if we could.”

Here’s more from Houston:

Morey added that Harden is constantly consulted on personnel moves, MacMahon passes along in the same. “My job every day is to try to put the players around him to win a championship,” Morey said. “That’s our only goal here. I know that’s James’ only goal. His ability to recruit other players like Chris Paul, like all the players around the team, is the modern way that I think teams are going to be built.”
Harden believes adding Carmelo Anthony would help the Rockets, but he’s content with the roster as it currently stands John Weinfuss of ESPN.com passes along. Talks between the Rockets and Knicks on an Anthony deal have stalled, but the small forward reportedly expects to be dealt to the franchise.
Paul is excited for the opportunity to play alongside Harden even though it may mean sacrificing ball-handling duties, MacMahon adds in a separate piece. “That’s the coach’s problem over here, to figure that out. I think coach said it: When you want to win, you’ll do whatever it takes. I know James has that; I know I do. Whoever is in our locker room from day one, we’re going to talk about sacrificing and doing whatever you have to do to help us win,” Paul said.

Carmelo Anthony Expecting Trade To Rockets

July 15th, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New York is looking to sit down with Carmelo Anthony over the next few days to discuss the possibility of keeping him on the roster. However, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the small forward intends to tell the Knicks that he would like them to go forward by trading him to the Rockets.

Anthony expects the team to carry on a rebuild without him on the roster. He’s been willing to waive his no trade clause for either the Cavs or Rockets, but Wojnarowski hears that Houston is his preferred destination at this time.

The Rockets are determined to complete a deal with the Knicks and the franchise believes Anthony is focused on playing in Houston next season.

The Knicks have paused trade talks with both teams. Scott Perry, who was recently hired as the team’s GM, wants an opportunity to talk with the franchise’s star player. Wojnarowski adds that Perry has a history with Anthony and “strong relationships” with some of the small forward’s inner-circle.

Perry and team president Steve Mills are evaluating whether it makes more sense to hold onto Anthony through part of the 2017/18 season in order to rehabilitate the 32-year-old’s trade value. Phil Jackson, who was fired by the organization last month, publicly tried to get Anthony to waive his no-trade clause, something that arguably hurt the 10-time All-Star’s trade value.

The franchise realizes that convincing Anthony to accept returning to the team remains a long-shot. Anthony didn’t come to the acceptance of waiving his no-trade clause easily, which means the team can’t expect him to shift his decision on a whim, Wojnarowski notes.

Carmelo Anthony Frustrated By Knicks’ Mixed Messages?

July 14th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The subject of trade rumors for most of the year, Carmelo Anthony is frustrated by reports that Knicks general manager Steve Mills is putting those talks on hold and may be having second thoughts about a deal, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Isola suggests that the other teams involved in a proposed four-team Anthony trade scenario are also frustrated by the latest developments.

While Anthony’s camp appeared to be pushing for most of the week to complete a deal – likely with the Rockets – a report on Thursday night indicated that the Knicks had paused trade discussions with Houston and Cleveland. The move coincided with the arrival of new general manager Scott Perry, whose new deal with the Knicks was finalized today.

According to Isola, it’s possible that the Knicks just want Perry to settle into his new job before moving forward with an Anthony trade, but the club’s changing stance still comes as a surprise to many of the parties involved. As Isola writes, Anthony has expressed a willingness to waive his no-trade clause for the Rockets, and has been preparing to be sent to Houston.

“From what I understand, Carmelo is under the belief that he’s going to the Rockets,” a source tells the Daily News. “That’s what the Knicks have been telling us; that they’re trading him. I can’t imagine that after all he went though last season with Phil [Jackson] he’s happy with this.”

Isola suggests the parameters of a deal are in place, with some details that need to be finalized, and adds that two people close to the talks think something will get done eventually. Earlier reports from Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com and Marc Berman of The New York Post suggested that the Knicks want Anthony to meet with the new front office and head coach Jeff Hornacek, and may be more open to keeping him. However, Anthony isn’t expected to be very receptive to that idea.

Berman also indicated that the team holds out hope that Carmelo would be willing to expand his wish list to more teams besides the Rockets and Cavs, which perhaps is a hint that the Knicks may not be entirely satisfied with their return in the proposed multi-team trade.

According to Isola, Anthony is concerned about his public image and doesn’t want his potential departure from the Knicks to be messy. It may be getting too late for that.

Carmelo Anthony Trade Talks On Hold

July 14th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 14, 9:13am: As the Knicks regroup on the Anthony front, the team’s primary hope is that Carmelo will consider expanding his wish list beyond Houston and Cleveland, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, could veto any deal, but has expressed a willingness to waive that NTC for the Rockets or Cavaliers — the Knicks have been unable to work out a deal with either of those teams, so adding more clubs to the list could increase their chances of getting something done.

Berman also notes within his story that the Nuggets were among the clubs who explored getting involved in three- or four-team trade talks when those discussions were active.

JULY 13, 9:04pm: The Knicks have paused Carmelo Anthony trade talks with both the Rockets and Cavaliers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. New York would like to reopen dialogue with Anthony about “reincorporating him into the organization.”

It was previously reported that Anthony’s representatives wanted to see a deal get done this week. The Rockets and Knicks were looking to pull off a multi-team trade and were searching for a fourth team to help facilitate a deal. The two sides discussed a three-team deal last weekend, but those talks reportedly “stalled.”

Scott Perry’s pending arrival as GM has made team executive Steve Mills reconsider his stance on trading Anthony, the pair of scribes add. Perry, who currently is the Kings VP of basketball operations, and the Knicks have agreed on a deal to make the executive the team’s new GM. However, Sacramento and New York still need to work out compensation in order to finalize Perry’s hiring.

The Knicks would like Anthony to meet with the team’s new front office as well as coach Jeff Hornacek soon, but the pair of ESPN scribes add that it’s unlikely Anthony will respond with eagerness to stay with the franchise.

The Rockets acquired Chris Paul two weeks ago and since the trade, Houston has been cited as a potential landing spot for Anthony. In order to bring the 10-time All-Star aboard, Houston would presumably need to move Ryan Anderson, who will earn more than $19.5MM during the 2017/18 campaign. New York has no interest in adding Anderson to the team.

Chris Paul Discusses Move From Clippers To Rockets

July 13th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Chris Paul explained why he felt it was time to move on from the Clippers, and what drew him to the Rockets.
Isaiah Taylor, who has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2017/18, will likely spend the majority of the season with the Rockets rather than the team’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, per head coach Mike D’Antoni (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle). Of course, that assumes Houston doesn’t use Taylor’s non-guaranteed contract to help accommodate a trade.

Pelicans May Help Facilitate Carmelo Anthony Trade

July 12th, 2017 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Earlier today, we told you the Rockets and Knicks were looking for a fourth team to help finalize a trade involving Carmelo Anthony. The Pelicans have expressed interest in becoming that fourth team, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

It’s not clear whether New Orleans would take on the three years and more than $61MM left on Ryan Anderson‘s contract or if he would go to another team. Anderson spent four years with the Pelicans franchise before signing with Houston last summer. The Rockets need to move his salary to make room for Anthony, while the Knicks have no need for Anderson because he plays the same position as Kristaps Porzingis and he goes against their new philosophy of avoiding older players on long-term deals.

Representatives for Anthony would like to see the deal get done this week, Berman adds. Houston has scheduled a press conference for Friday to officially welcome Chris Paul, but Berman sees little chance that the trade will be complete in time for Anthony to make a surprise appearance. Multiple sources tell Berman that no deal will happen until “well after” Friday. He states that the sides are getting closer to an agreement and are still “motivated,” but much work still remains. A proposed three-team trade reportedly “stalled” over the weekend, forcing the Rockets and Knicks to start the process over.

Sources tell Berman that Knicks acting president Steve Mills is so focused on the Anthony negotiations that it has prevented the team from finding a veteran point guard. There is speculation that New York may try to fill the position through the Anthony deal.

Houston’s first attempts to acquire Anthony were unsuccessful, Berman adds, because the Knicks were restructuring their front office after former president Phil Jackson was fired. However, owner James Dolan has now signed off on moving Anthony and plans to make Mills the new team president.

Insiders tell Berman that Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni initially wasn’t on board with acquiring Anthony because of their past differences in New York. However, with Paul, James Harden and Nene all pushing for the move, D’Antoni has been left with no choice.

Knicks, Rockets Explore Four-Team Carmelo Scenarios

July 12th, 2017 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

3:23pm: An Anthony trade involving the Knicks and Rockets is “at the two-yard line,” a source tells Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. It’s not clear exactly how close the teams are – presumably not as close as if talks were “at the one-yard line” – but as ESPN’s report below indicates, both the Knicks and Rockets are motivated to complete a deal if they can find a scenario that appeases all involved parties.

10:17am: The Knicks and Rockets have explored Carmelo Anthony trade scenarios that would include up to two other teams in a possible four-team deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). However, while New York and Houston are both motivated to get something done, no agreement is imminent, according to Wojnarowski.

Since the Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul two weeks ago, Houston has been frequently cited as a potential landing spot for Anthony, with the Cavaliers viewed as the other viable suitor for the veteran forward. The Rockets appear to be more aggressively pursuing a deal at this point, but a match between Houston and New York is tricky.

For the Rockets to move enough salary to accommodate Anthony’s oversized contract, the team would almost certainly have to part with Ryan Anderson, who will earn more than $19.5MM this season. Anderson’s contract has three years left on it though, with cap hits of $20MM+ in 2018/19 and $21MM+ in ’19/20, and the Knicks have no interest in taking on that sort of long-term money for a veteran.

For a Rockets trade for Anthony to work, at least one other team would likely have to get involved to take on Anderson’s contract. That club accommodating the salary dump would require at least an asset or two for its troubles, and Houston has already traded its 2018 first-round pick, so it will be tricky to find a deal that makes three teams happy. A four-team deal, which would likely involve more players and picks, would be even more challenging. As such, we shouldn’t necessarily expect quick resolution.

Earlier this week, we identified the teams with cap room remaining — I’d expect the Rockets and Knicks are trying to engage several teams on that list. However, the Lakers have since committed their space to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, while the Hawks have cut into their room with a deal for Dewayne Dedmon.

If the Rockets can reach a trade agreement for Anthony, the longtime Knick is expected to waive his no-trade clause – and perhaps part of his trade kicker – to make the deal work.

Harden Extension Includes Player Option; Oliver Gets $300K Guarantee

July 11th, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

As for James Harden‘s super-max extension with the Rockets, the final year of that deal (2022/23) is a player option (Twitter link).
The Rockets signed undrafted rookie Cameron Oliver to a two-year, minimum salary contract that includes $300K in guaranteed money (Twitter link).

Sixers Sign Amir Johnson

July 8th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 8, 6:57pm: Johnson’s signing is official, the Sixers announced in an email.

JULY 1, 6:25pm: The Sixers and Celtics discussed a sign-and-trade involving Jahlil Okafor for Johnson, but the deal never materialized, Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s televised coverage of free agency.

5:09pm: Amir Johnson will join the Sixers on a one-year, $11MM deal contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

The 11-year veteran started 77 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per night. He made $12MM this year in the final season of a two-year contract.

There had been rumors that the Celtics were interested in a sign-and-trade with the Sixers involving Johnson, but this appears to be a straight free-agent signing.

The Bulls, Raptors and Rockets also expressed interest in Johnson, and all three teams had meetings with him scheduled for today.