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14 Rockets Players Locked Up Through 2023/24

October 19th, 2022 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Having extended Kevin Porter Jr. earlier this week, the Rockets now have all but one of the players on their current 15-man roster locked up through the 2023/24 season, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. While not every player’s salary is guaranteed in ’23/24, Boban Marjanovic is the only Houston player who has a standard contract that doesn’t cover at least the next two seasons.

“Stability is always good,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said of the team’s situation. “It feels good to have the guys we have. I love our group. The guys that have been here with Eric (Gordon) and J.T. (Jae’Sean Tate) and K.J. (Martin) and then the new guys from last year and now the new guys from this year, it does seem like we’re moving in the right direction as far as solidifying who we’re going to be.”

Even with so many players locked up beyond this season, the Rockets can create a significant chunk of cap room next summer, since most of the roster will be earning salaries between $2-10MM. Only Gordon, whose $20.92MM cap hit is non-guaranteed, and Porter, who will earn a guaranteed $15.86MM, have eight-digit salaries in 2023/24.

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Sengun May Be Suited For Second Unit

October 18th, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Rockets second-year center Alperen Sengun might be more effective coming off the bench, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle explains. Sengun could showcase more of his offensive moves if he’s on the second unit, while Bruno Fernando is more suited for the rebounding and pick-and-roll responsibilities with the starting unit. “It’s always important for (Sengun) to touch the ball when he’s on the floor because that’s his strength,” coach Stephen Silas said. “I’m intentional about making sure that he gets the ball when it’s necessary and sometimes when he hasn’t had a touch.”
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Rockets Waive Derrick Favors

October 17th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 17: The Rockets have waived Favors, the team confirmed today. Houston’s roster is now set for the regular season.

OCTOBER 14: The Rockets plan to waive veteran big man Derrick Favors, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

As Charania notes, Houston still needed to make one more cut with 16 players on guaranteed standard contracts. Favors will be the odd man out.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Rockets are “huge fans” of Boban Marjanovic, another veteran center who may have been competing with Favors for the last roster spot. Iko says the team holds Marjanovic “in high regard as a locker room presence” and he’s “universally loved by his teammates,” in addition to having situational use as a backup.

The Rockets will be on the hook for all of Favors’ $10,183,800 salary in 2022/23 assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, which is almost certain to happen. If he’s officially waived today, the 31-year-old will become a free agent on Sunday.

Favors was acquired by the Rockets in an eight-player trade with the Thunder at the end of last month, and all four players Houston acquired will have been waived before the season starts (the Rockets essentially took on extra expiring money this season to land a future second-round pick and received some cash to help offset the salary differences).

The third overall pick of the 2010 draft, Favors has appeared in 790 regular season games (503 starts, 24.3 MPG) with averages of 10.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.2 BPG while shooting 53.4% from the floor and 66.3% from the foul line. His mobility and production have declined in recent seasons, averaging career-lows of 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 38 games (18 starts, 16.7 MPG) with the Thunder in ’21/22, but it would be surprising if he doesn’t land with a new team soon after becoming a free agent.

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Darius Days Gets Two-Way Contract With Rockets

October 17th, 2022 at 3:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 17: The Rockets have converted Days to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today. With Favors also officially waived, Houston is now within the regular season roster limit.

OCTOBER 16: The Rockets will give their open two-way slot to Darius Days, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Houston claimed Days on Tuesday after he was placed on waivers by the Heat.

The 6’7″ forward out of LSU had a strong showing with the Spurs at the Las Vegas Summer League. The Heat gave Days a two-way contract in July, but later converted him to an Exhibit 10 contract and cut him when they decided to give Jamal Cain that two-way slot.

Miami had hoped to send Days to its G League affiliate if he cleared waivers, but the Rockets snatched him away.

Houston’s roster now appears set with veteran big man Derrick Favors expected to be waived before Monday’s deadline. Rookie guard Trevor Hudgins holds the team’s other two-way slot.

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Western Notes: Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets, Potter, Liddell, Spurs

October 17th, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he didn’t play in the Lakers‘ preseason finale on Friday due to lower back soreness, Anthony Davis will have “no restrictions, whatsoever” when the team’s regular season tips off on Tuesday in Golden State, head coach Darvin Ham said (link via Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times).

Russell Westbrook, who sustained a left hamstring injury in Friday’s game, could “definitely” be available for the opener, according to Ham, but reserve point guard Dennis Schröder likely won’t be, as Turner writes.

Ham said that Schröder’s thumb ligament injury was still being evaluated as of Sunday, and while he’s still considered day-to-day, the ailment may take a little time to heal, tweets Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Nikola Jokic (wrist) and Jamal Murray (hamstring) are both expected to be available for the Nuggets‘ regular season opener on Wednesday in Utah, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Barring an unexpected setback, it will be the first time Denver’s two stars have shared the court in a regular season game since April 2021.
  • The Rockets will likely have a handful of players on the injury report to start the season, but head coach Stephen Silas said on Sunday that he’s hopeful rookie Jabari Smith (ankle) will be available for the team’s opener, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Silas added that Garrison Mathews (illness) and Daishen Nix (back) are “close” to being ready too. Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) is the least likely of the group to be available for the opener, Feigen writes.
  • The two-way contracts signed in recent days by Jazz center Micah Potter and Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell both cover two years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As our tracker shows, those are the fifth and sixth two-way deals signed this offseason that are for two years instead of one.
  • Noting that the Spurs have had “so many guys over the years” develop their games in the G League, head coach Gregg Popovich said two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jordan Hall will likely spend most of their time in Austin this season, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “He’ll spend some time in the G League and play lots of minutes,” Popovich said, specifically addressing Barlow’s situation. “If he was with us right now, he’s not going to get on the court that much, which doesn’t help him develop.”
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Rockets Sign Kevin Porter Jr. To Four-Year Extension

October 17th, 2022 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

12:08pm: Porter’s extension is now official, the Rockets announced today in a press release.

“We value the player and the person that Scoot is becoming and are eager to invest in him and his journey,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said in a statement. “He’s expressed how happy he is to be with this organization and has shown his commitment to putting in the work both on and off the court. We are excited for the opportunity to continue to build something special with him.”

10:18am: Porter’s four-year extension will only be fully guaranteed for $15.86MM in year one, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides more details, tweeting that the Porter’s annual salaries in subsequent years will guarantee if he remains under contract through each June 30. For instance, his 2024/25 salary would guarantee if he hasn’t been waived by June 30, 2024.

Additionally, there’s language in the deal that will provide a path for Porter’s salaries in future seasons to become partially guaranteed before they become fully guaranteed, Marks adds (via Twitter).

Since Porter’s first-year salary is only worth $15.86MM, the total base value of the extension can only be worth up to about $71MM with 8% annual raises, so the $82.5MM total value (reported below) appears to include incentives. According to Marks, those incentives are related to games played and team success.

9:00am: The Rockets and guard Kevin Porter Jr. have agreed to a rookie scale contract extension, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Agent Sam Permut tells Wojnarowski that it’s a four-year, $82.5MM deal. However, according to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), only the first season is fully guaranteed.

Wojnarowski (Twitter link) describes the extension as having a “unique” structure that will have major upside for Porter while also providing protections for the team. Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link) says there are partial guarantees beyond the first year. The final season is a team option, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Porter, 22, was the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft and had a promising rookie season in Cleveland. However, he had some legal issues off the court prior to his second season and was then involved in a locker room incident early in 2021 that prompted the Cavaliers to trade him to Houston.

In his two seasons with the Rockets, Porter has established himself as the team’s starting point guard, averaging 15.9 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 4.2 RPG with a shooting line of .418/.357/.672 in 87 total games (31.5 MPG). Perhaps most importantly, there’s been no indication that his past behavior off the court and in the locker room has been a recurring issue in Houston.

We’ll have to wait for more details on the exact structure of Porter’s new contract, but the fact that it’s not fully guaranteed beyond the first year means the Rockets should have an out if they ultimately decide he’s not the right fit at point guard with the rest of their young core, or if any other off-court incidents take place down the road.

Even with a lucrative new deal for Porter on their books, the Rockets will still have plenty of financial flexibility during the summer of 2023. According to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the club should be able to create a minimum of $30MM in cap room, and could get to $50MM+ by waiving non-guaranteed players (including Eric Gordon).

As our extension tracker shows, Porter is the ninth player to agree to a rookie scale extension in 2022. If he earns his full $82.5MM, Porter’s deal would be the seventh-most lucrative of those extensions, ahead of Keldon Johnson and Brandon Clarke.

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Southwest Notes: Mavs, Campazzo, Spurs, Rockets, Pelicans

October 16th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Argentinian point guard Facundo Campazzo has arrived in Dallas, league sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). As previous reports indicated and as Stein confirms, Campazzo is on track to sign a one-year contract with the Mavericks after he completes a physical with the team.

The signing will likely become official on Monday or Tuesday, ahead of Dallas’ regular season opener in Phoenix on Wednesday, Stein adds. Because the Mavericks are currently only carrying 14 players on standard contracts, no corresponding roster move will be necessary to sign Campazzo as the team’s 15th man.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southwest:

  • While San Antonio’s current players say they’re not thinking about next year’s draft and will be focused on winning games this season, the Spurs figure to be a key player in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, with head coach Gregg Popovich acknowledging that the team won’t be a contender this season, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “To be a championship program, you have to have a couple superstars on your team,” Popovich said. “That doesn’t exist (here) right now. … It’s just a fact, and to avoid that fact seems kind of senseless to me.”
  • With Dejounte Murray no longer in San Antonio, the Spurs may be the “Keldon Johnson show” this season, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, noting that the team’s options on offense will be limited — especially if veterans Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson are traded before the deadline. Hollinger forecasts a 24-58 finish for the rebuilding Spurs, who currently have five teenagers on their roster.
  • Like San Antonio, Houston doesn’t have championship aspiration this season, but the Rockets want to make things hard on their opponents as they focus on player development and growth, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “There’s a lot of teams around this league that think we’re still in rebuild and we’re still trying to figure things out,” Jae’Sean Tate said. “Our whole mindset is … trying to punch guys in the mouth, try to be the aggressors and I think you … are going to see that this year.”
  • Zion Williamson will likely have plenty of different frontcourt partners this season, with Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr., Jaxson Hayes, and Willy Hernangomez among the bigs he could play alongside. Will Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at how the pieces might fit together for the Pelicans.
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Checking In On Roster Situations Around The NBA

October 16th, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the majority of the NBA teams made their roster cuts on Saturday and didn’t wait until Monday’s deadline to set their regular season rosters.

Making those moves on Saturday will ensure the players on non-guaranteed contracts clear waivers on Monday, before the regular season begins. If a team had waited until Monday to waive a player on a non-guaranteed deal, he wouldn’t clear waivers until Wednesday, and the team would be on the hook for two days’ worth of his salary.

After yesterday’s flurry of roster moves, here’s where things stand around the NBA…

Teams whose rosters are within the regular season limits

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, 26 have rosters that comply with the league’s regular season roster limits, which state that clubs can’t carry more than 15 players on standard contracts or two on two-way contracts.

The following 16 teams are right at the limit, carrying 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-ways:

  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Just because these rosters look ready for the regular season doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in. In fact, it would be a surprise if at least one or two of these teams don’t make minor tweaks before Monday’s regular season roster deadline. That could be as simple as swapping out one two-way player for another.

The Sixers are one team to watch, since Michael Foster Jr. – who is on an Exhibit 10 contract – remains on the roster. It’s possible Philadelphia intends to convert him to a two-way deal on Sunday or Monday, which would mean the club would have to waive one of its current two-way players (Charlie Brown Jr. or Julian Champagnie).

The following seven teams are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and two on two-ways:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Miami Heat
  • Phoenix Suns

The majority of these teams have luxury tax concerns and will open the season with an open roster spot to keep their projected tax bill in check, though that’s not the case for all of them.

The Hornets are well clear of the tax, for instance, and could comfortably make a roster addition if they want to. They may also be leaving a spot open for Miles Bridges, though his NBA future is up in the air due to his legal situation.The Mavericks, meanwhile, are in the tax but are still expected to sign veteran guard Facundo Campazzo before the regular season begins.

We’ve covered 23 teams so far. That leaves three more who are in within the regular season limits. Those teams are as follows:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 15 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: 14 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.

The Trail Blazers are right up against the tax line and will likely keep their 15th spot open to start the season, but the Cavaliers could add a 15th man if they so choose. All three teams could be keeping an eye on players who were waived in recent days as they mull how to fill their open two-way slots.

It’s worth mentioning that the Pelicans still haven’t signed second-round pick E.J. Liddell, who suffered a torn ACL during Summer League play. I suspect New Orleans wants Liddell to sign a G League contract and rehab with the Birmingham Squadron this season so that the team can use its second two-way slot on someone who can actually contribute on the court, but it remains possible that Liddell could fill that two-way opening.

Teams that still have moves to make before Monday’s deadline

The following teams haven’t yet made their necessary cuts to get within the regular season roster limits:

Detroit Pistons: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The final cut will be pretty simple for the Pistons. They still haven’t officially waived Kemba Walker, but they’re expected to do so before the start of the season. Because Walker’s salary is fully guaranteed, Detroit can afford to wait until Monday instead of waiving him on Saturday, since there will be no additional financial penalty.

Houston Rockets: 17 players on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal.

The Rockets‘ final moves also looks pretty straightforward. Derrick Favors, who has a guaranteed salary, and Darius Days, who is on an Exhibit 10 contract, remain on the team’s roster for now. Favors will reportedly be waived on or before Monday. The deadline to convert players from Exhibit 10 deals to two-way contracts is Monday, so if Houston converts Days to a two-way today or tomorrow, the club will be set for the season.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 17 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Thunder will actually have to waive three players, not just two, because they’re also reportedly signing Isaiah Joe to their 15-man roster. David Nwaba is reportedly one of the players being cut, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the other two are also players the Thunder acquired from Houston last month: Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.

San Antonio Spurs: 16 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

The Spurs will have to waive one player to get to the 15-man limit. Keita Bates-Diop and Tre Jones don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, but the fact that San Antonio didn’t finalize its cuts on Saturday suggests that a player with a guaranteed contract will be the odd man out. Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News reported on Saturday that Joe Wieskamp and Romeo Langford are “on the bubble.”

Reported Exhibit 10 signings that never materialized

There are a handful of free agent contract agreements that were reported at some point during the offseason and, as far as we can tell, never actually materialized. Those agreements are as follows:

These players and teams could still technically finalize these deals on Sunday or Monday, but it’s also very possible they simply fell through for one reason or another. For instance, reporting in September indicated that Montero’s buyout from his Spanish team might be an issue.

We’re no longer assuming that these signings going to happen.

Hoops Rumors’ roster resources

We consistently maintain and update a number of lists and trackers that are designed to help you keep tabs on NBA rosters. They’re all up to date following Saturday’s cuts. Those resources, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site or on the “Features” page within our mobile menu, include the following:

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Rockets Waive Willie Cauley-Stein, Pierria Henry

October 15th, 2022 at 1:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have waived veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein and guard Pierria Henry, the team announced.

Both deals were non-guaranteed, so Cauley-Stein and Henry were long shots to make the opening night roster, because the Rockets are already at the regular season limit of 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts (not including Derrick Favors, who is expected to be waived before the season starts).

Cauley-Stein has appeared in 422 regular season games (256 starts, 22 MPG) since being drafted sixth overall by the Kings in 2015, holding career averages of 8.7 PPG and 5.9 RPG. However, he only appeared in 20 games (9.2 MPG) last season with the Mavericks and Sixers, having been cut by both teams.

Henry has played exclusively in Europe since going undrafted out of Charlotte in 2015, and he’s had a strong pro career, winning a Turkish League championship with Fenerbahçe in 2022 and a Spanish League title in 2020 with Baskonia. He holds career averages of 9.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.6 SPG on .451/.351/.782 shooting overseas.

The 29-year-old played for the Wizards’ Summer League team in July. It appears as though Henry hopes to make the NBA by playing for Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. If he signed an Exhibit 10 deal, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Vipers.

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Rockets Notes: Smith, Sengun, Silas, Season Preview

October 13th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets rookie big man Jabari Smith Jr. remains sidelined as he continues to rehabilitate from a sprained left ankle, though he was cleared for contact practices on Tuesday, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The 6’10” power forward, the third pick out of Auburn, expressed confidence that he might be available for Houston’s 2022/23 season opener, scheduled for Wednesday, October 19, against the Hawks.

“I’m working to get back in shape now, just getting ready, getting my body ready for the first regular-season game,” Smith said. “It’s been tough, just sitting out, watching my teammates get better. I’m working to get better. I know I’ll be back in no time. It’s a long season.”

There’s more out of Houston:

  • Second-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun is working to get more involved in Houston’s offense, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle in a separate piece. “Al-P’s strength is having the basketball and he hasn’t had the ball much,” head coach Stephen Silas remarked. “He’s been a pick-and-roll player. As we go through training camp, which is still going on, he’ll get his post-ups and he’ll get his elbow catches and it’ll be more comfortable for him.”
  • Rockets head coach Stephen Silas has rejoined the club following a week-long absence due to his second COVID-19 infection, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Silas missed two Houston preseason contests and four team practices. Assistant coach John Lucas led the team in Silas’s absence. “It wasn’t a great experience going through it… but I feel good now,” Silas said. “I told the guys this; the hardest part is not seeing them and not being around them. The practices, it is what it is, the drills and the games and stuff. But just being around these guys, they’re such a fun group — I missed them.”
  • With Rockets first-round draft selections Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and TyTy Washington Jr. now in the fold, joining young players Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Kenyon Martin Jr., Josh Christopher, and Usman Garuba, the rebuilding Rockets appear poised to enjoy a fascinating 2022/23 season of development, though that probably won’t translate to wins. John Hollinger of The Athletic previews the club’s season outlook, projecting a 22-60 finish.
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