Rockets Rumors

Contract Details: Clippers, THT, Ball, Nwaba, Bembry, Raptors

After reporting over the weekend that the Clippers used about $3.9MM of their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Justise Winslow, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video) confirmed today that the team used the leftover portion of that MLE to sign second-round picks Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr. to three-year deals, with Preston getting a little more than the rookie minimum.

Keith Smith of Spotrac shares those salary figures down to the dollar, tweeting that Winslow’s first-year salary is $3,902,439 while Preston’s is $1,062,303. Combined with Boston’s rookie minimum of $925,258, those three salaries add up to exactly $5.89MM, the amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Here are a few more details on new contracts from around the NBA:

  • While Talen Horton-Tucker‘s three-year deal with the Lakers was initially said to be worth $32MM, the year-by-year breakdown provided by Smith works out to a total of $30.78MM (Twitter link).
  • Lonzo Ball‘s four-year deal with the Bulls also came in slightly lower than expected, according to Smith, who says it has a base value of $80MM, with $1MM in annual unlikely incentives (Twitter link).
  • David Nwaba‘s three-year, $15MM contract with the Rockets has two fully guaranteed seasons followed by a third-year team option, according to Marks (Instagram video).
  • DeAndre’ Bembry‘s minimum-salary deal with the Nets has a partial guarantee of $750K for now, tweets Smith. That number will increase to $1.25MM on December 15 before becoming fully guaranteed in January.
  • Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter links) shares some Raptors contract details, reporting that Gary Trent Jr.‘s deal has a base value of $51.84MM, with $250K in annual unlikely incentives. Murphy adds that Ishmail Wainright got a $250K guarantee in 2021/22 – plus a $125K guarantee in ’22/23 – on his minimum-salary contract, while Yuta Watanabe‘s minimum-salary deal is now partially guaranteed for $375K. Watanabe would get his full guarantee if he makes the regular season roster.

Rockets First-Rounder Garuba Reaches Buyout Agreement With Real Madrid

Spanish big man Usman Garuba has reached a buyout agreement with Real Madrid that will allow him to get out of his contract with the Spanish club and join the Rockets for the 2021/22 season, according to a report from Jose Luis Martinez of Marca.com (hat tip to Sportando).

As we relayed last month, Garuba’s NBA buyout clause with Real Madrid was said to be worth three million Euros and would have become even more expensive in future years.

An NBA team can contribute to a player’s buyout with his international club, but only up to $775K (approximately €655K). That meant that if Garuba wanted to make the leap to the NBA right away after being selected with the No. 23 pick in the 2021 draft, most of the buyout would have to come out of his own pocket.

According to Martinez, Garuba and Real Madrid – who had the big man under contract through at least 2024 – agreed to a deal that will allow him to pay off the rest of his buyout in installments.

Garuba, 19, has been a member of Real Madrid since 2017 and was a regular part of the team’s rotation in 2020/21. He was named the ACB Best Young Player and also received the EuroLeague Rising Star award, then missed the 2021 draft because he was representing Spain at the Tokyo Olympics.

Assuming Garuba plays out his full rookie scale contract with the Rockets, he’ll ultimately come out ahead despite having to send a sizable chunk of his salary back to Real Madrid. As our breakdown shows, he projects to earn about $11.8MM over the course of the four-year NBA deal.

Once they officially sign Garuba, the Rockets will have all four of their first-round picks under contract. Jalen Green (No. 2), Alperen Sengun (No. 16), and Josh Christopher (No. 24) have already signed.

Rockets Guarantee Jae’Sean Tate’s 2021/22 Salary

The Rockets have guaranteed Jae’Sean Tate‘s salary for the 2021/22 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Tate will earn approximately $1.52MM next season.

Tate, 25, had an impressive rookie season for Houston in 2020/21, averaging 11.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG on 50.6% shooting and playing tough defense across 70 games (29.2 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

Tate’s second-year salary wasn’t scheduled to become guaranteed until January, per Basketball Insiders. However, as Feigen explains, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta made the decision to lock in the forward’s salary a few months early. The move was designed to reward Tate for his play last season and to send the message that the team values his “determined play and attitude,” Feigen adds.

Tate’s contract extends for one more year beyond 2021/22 — the Rockets have a $1.78MM team option for ’22/23, which seems likely to be eventually exercised.

The Rockets have also officially signed David Nwaba, Feigen reports.

Stephen Silas Excited About Draft Additions

  • Rockets coach Stephen Silas is ready to focus on basketball again after spending 10 days in quarantine following a positive COVID-19 test, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Silas, who wasn’t able to be in the draft room or attend the post-draft press conference, expressed his enthusiasm about the team’s four first-round picks — Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher. “I was excited to get all four guys because I had done research on all for of them and studied them. We had talked a lot about them,” Silas said. “It all worked out almost as a perfect world for us as far as who we got and where we got them and now looking forward with them.”

Rockets Acquire Daniel Theis In Sign-And-Trade

AUGUST 7: The sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls is official, the Rockets announced in a press release, with Chicago getting cash considerations in return.

“Daniel is a versatile center who impacts both ends of the court,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “We’re looking forward to adding his skillset to our young core and giving Coach (Stephen) Silas even more flexibility with his lineups.”

Theis’ new four-year contract includes a 15% trade kicker, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).


AUGUST 2: The Rockets will fortify their frontcourt by signing Daniel Theis to a four-year contract worth $36MM, his agents at CAA Basketball tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Theis was frequently linked to Houston in the days leading up to free agency. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Houston’s plan is to work with the Bulls, Theis’ old team, to complete a sign-and-trade deal that would allow the Rockets to fit the center into their leftover trade exception from the Victor Oladipo trade.

That trade exception is worth about $8.2MM and could be used to sign Theis to a contract worth up to $35.6MM over four years. Taking that approach would preserve Houston’s mid-level exception for another signing (or multiple signings).

According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), the Rockets are expected to send cash to the Bulls to finalize the sign-and-trade.

Theis, 29, averaged a career-high 9.6 PPG in 2020/21 in 65 games (24.6 MPG) for Boston and Chicago. He also contributed 5.5 RPG and 0.9 BPG while shooting 54.1% from the floor and even launching the occasional three-pointer (32.2% on 2.3 attempts per game).

While Theis isn’t particularly dangerous on the offensive end, he’s a solid defender who will give the Rockets another reliable veteran in the frontcourt alongside Christian Wood.

Rockets Sign Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher To Rookie Deals

The Rockets have signed first-round picks Alperen Sengun and Josh Christopher to their rookie scale contracts, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.

Sengun, a 19-year-old forward/center from Turkey, was named the Turkish League MVP in 2021 after averaging 19.2 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.7 BPG in 29 games (28.3 MPG) for Besiktas. Houston traded a pair of protected future first-round picks to acquire the No. 16 pick to select Sengun on draft night.

Christopher is a 6’5″ guard who played his college ball at Arizona State and declared for the draft following his freshman year. He was selected 24th overall after averaging 14.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 15 games (29.7 MPG) for the Sun Devils.

[RELATED: Rookie Scale Salaries For 2021 NBA First-Round Picks]

The Rockets, who drafted four players in the first round last Thursday, have already locked up No. 2 pick Jalen Green to his rookie contract as well. No. 23 pick Usman Garuba is the only one of the four still unsigned, likely due to the complications created by his expensive buyout with Real Madrid. We’ll have to wait to see if the Rockets are able to get him stateside for the 2021/22 season.

Jalen Green Signs Rookie Contract With Rockets

Jalen Green, the second selection in last week’s draft, has signed his rookie contract with the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Green is the first of Houston’s four first-round picks to sign, Feigen states, citing a person with knowledge of the deal.

Green signed for 120% of the rookie scale, which is common for first-round picks. He will earn about $8.99MM during his first season and will make up to $40.8MM over the course of the four-year deal.

The 19-year-old was the first major prospect to bypass college and sign with the newly formed G League Ignite team. In 15 games in the G League bubble in Orlando, Green averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per night, cementing his status as one of the best players in the draft.

He is preparing to make his Summer League debut this weekend, Feigen adds.

Rockets Sign David Nwaba To Three-Year Contract

AUGUST 8: The Rockets have officially signed Nwaba, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.


AUGUST 2: The Rockets have agreed to a three-year, $15MM contract to retain athletic free agent wing David Nwaba, reports Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link).

The journeyman Nwaba, 28, has suited up for several clubs after going undrafted out of California Polytechnic State University in 2015. Though not much of a jump shooter, Nwaba proved his prowess on the other end of the floor, during promising stints with the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavaliers.

20 games into his lone season with the Nets, Nwaba suffered a season-ending right Achilles tendon tear in December 2019. After being waived by the Nets, Nwaba signed a two-year deal with the Rockets ahead of the 2020 Orlando “bubble” season restart. The Rockets then exercised their $1.82MM team option on the small forward/shooting guard before the 2020/21 season.

He finally returned to action for the tanking Rockets during the 2020/21 season, and seemed none the worse for wear. Across 30 games, including nine starts, Nwaba averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in just 22.6 MPG.

Houston will be Nwaba’s first long-term NBA home, the first club for which he has played for longer than one season, though he has technically been on the Rockets for portions of two seasons already.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agency Rumors: Bulls, Galloway, Bullock, Caruso, Dinwiddie, Theis

The Bulls appear to be aware that they need to upgrade their playmaking. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (Twitter video link) that Chicago could be looking to add Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan to their roster.

Windhorst notes that the Bulls may be able to extract Ball from the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade deal, provided the Pelicans can add a point guard replacement for Ball either in the trade or elsewhere. The notion of DeRozan joining the Chicago backcourt as well is intriguing. “From what I am told, [the Bulls] are also interested in DeMar DeRozan, and are interested in pulling off a possible double sign-and-trade where they would send [Chicago’s restricted free agent power forward] Lauri Markkanen to San Antonio,” Windhorst said in an ESPN segment.

Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA, with the official start of the signing season just moments away:

  • After averaging a career-low 4.8 PPG in a career-low 40 games as essentially a part-time player for the eventual 2021 championship runner-up Suns, Langston Galloway appears ready to move on. “I was on a team that made it to the finals, but my biggest thing is getting an opportunity to play,” Galloway told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Being on a team like that, I learned a lot, and all I need is someone that’s going to believe in me. That’s going to go a long way, and it’s going to pay dividends for whatever team I get the chance to play for next year.”
  • Free agent Knicks shooting guard Reggie Bullock may have suitors offering him new deals in the range of a three-year mid-level contract, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks still hope to bring Bullock back. Berman adds that the Knicks are also rumored to have interest in free agent shooting guard Evan Fournier, and if they were to add him and Bullock, the incumbent Bullock would be demoted to the New York bench.
  • Unrestricted free agent Lakers reserve point guard Alex Caruso will speak with several clubs and is intent on picking a free agent destination expediently, writes Marks Medina of USA Today (Twitter link). Medina writes that the Lakers, who hold Caruso’s Bird rights, could look to retain him, especially since he could provide their suddenly top-heavy roster with some much-needed shooting and defense in the backcourt.
  • Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie apparently will decide between the Pelicans, Knicks and Wizards, though the Celtics could also a candidate, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link). Sources inform Schultz that the Pelicans at least are prepared to offer Dinwiddie a long-term deal that could pay $20MM or more annually. Shams Charania reports (Twitter video link) that Dinwiddie will meet with the Wizards at the start of free agency. “They have made him an ultimate target early in this free agency process,” Charania said.
  • Free agent Bulls center/power forward Daniel Theis could be a target for several clubs looking for a big man upgrade, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto lists teams like the Rockets, Spurs, Raptors, Pistons and the playoff-contending Heat as candidates for Theis this summer.

Trade Rumors: Warriors, T. Harris, OKC, Jordan, Sexton, Wolves

Trade speculation involving the Warriors‘ top assets – including James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and possibly future first-round picks – has died down a little since the draft came and went without a deal, with team owner Joe Lacob publicly stating a major deal this offseason is unlikely.

A source within the organization tells Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area that there’s only one player the Warriors would be willing to make all those aforementioned assets available for, and that player hasn’t been made available via trade.

While the player wasn’t specifically named, Andrews writes that it’s hard not to assume it’s a reference to Bradley Beal, whom Golden State’s stars would reportedly love to add to the roster. However, Beal continues to give no indications that he wants the Wizards to move him.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

  • In addition to shopping Ben Simmons, the Sixers have made Tobias Harris available, according to veteran NBA reporter Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link), who says the Rockets turned down a potential deal for Harris.
  • The Thunder are a possible candidate to take on DeAndre Jordan in a trade with the Nets, says Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. It’s not clear if Oklahoma City would become involved in a multi-team trade to make that happen or if it’d be a straight salary-dump deal.
  • Fischer also reports in the same story that a trade involving Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton appears unlikely at this point.
  • The Timberwolves “had eyes” for Kyle Kuzma before the Lakers reached a deal to send him to the Wizards, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who says Minnesota could pursue Kuzma again if Washington makes him available. Fischer adds that the Wolves are open to flipping Taurean Prince after acquiring him from Cleveland.