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Rockets Notes: Harden, Tucker, Van Gundy, Bench

February 28th, 2020 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden believes he’s taken for granted around the basketball world, as he told Rachel Nichols of ESPN (Twitter link). “I feel like I’m the best player,” said the former Most Valuable Player, who once again leads the league in scoring. “Throughout the course of the year, I don’t see double teams for anybody else. Usually, you’ll see a double team after a 50-point night or a 60-point night. I have an 18-point night, the next game I’m seeing a double-team.”

Harden also took a dig at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joked while choosing his All-Star squad that he didn’t want Harden because he preferred someone who passed the ball. “I wish I could just go to the rim at 7-feet and just dunk,” Harden said. “That takes no skill at all.”

We have more on the Rockets:

P.J. Tucker has accepted his new role as the team’s middle man in its Microball lineup, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. Tucker says it’s just part of the job description of a team player. “It’s not a choice,” he said. “It’s like when people ask me why I play so hard. Like, it’s not a choice to play hard. I don’t have a choice. That’s what you’ve got to do. Period.”
Broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy doled out praise to coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey for their willingness to take criticism by embracing unconventional lineups, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I admire their basketball courage,” Van Gundy said. “They have true conviction. They don’t waffle. They believe in what they believe. And they are unafraid of the consequences or the criticism. That’s when you can coach freely and manage freely.”
The recent additions of Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll have made the team’s bench much more formidable, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Forward Danuel House is noticing the difference. “It makes your team a very dangerous team,” House said. “Especially with your starting five. If your starting five is capable of putting up points and your bench is capable of putting up points, the team can stay consistent. There are no highs or lows, so that’s really good for our team.”

Rockets Sign Jeff Green For Remainder Of Season

February 28th, 2020 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have signed forward Jeff Green for the remainder of the season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

The move was anticipated with Green’s 10-day contract about to expire.

Green, who was released by the Jazz in December, was a free agent for nearly two months before agreeing to sign with the Rockets last week. He and the team initially reached a 10-day deal so he could evaluate the situation before making a rest-of-season commitment.

In four games with Houston, Green has averaged 9.8 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 19.3 MPG. The 33-year-old power forward has looked comfortable as the reserve center in the Rockets’ small-ball lineups.

With Green’s signing, Houston has a full 15-man roster. Terms were not disclosed but if it’s a minimum-salary deal, he’ll earn $695,526 the rest of the way, with a $439,475 cap hit.

Rockets Expected To Sign Jeff Green For Rest Of Season

February 25th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Jeff Green‘s 10-day contract with the Rockets doesn’t expire for a couple more days, but it sounds like the two sides will extend their relationship beyond Thursday. According to Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link), Green intends to sign with Houston for the rest of the season.

Green, who was released by the Jazz in December, was a free agent for nearly two months before agreeing to sign with the Rockets last week. He and the team initially reached a 10-day deal so he could evaluate the situation before making a rest-of-season commitment. Both Green and the Rockets are “really happy with the fit,” per Schultz.

In three games so far with Houston, Green has averaged 9.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG on .833/.714/.750 shooting. It’s a safe bet that those shooting marks will decline going forward, but the 33-year-old has looked comfortable as a de facto big man in the Rockets’ small-ball lineups.

When Green’s rest-of-season contract becomes official, Houston will have a full 15-man roster. The team had a pair of open roster spots following the All-Star break, filling them with Green and DeMarre Carroll, who was bought out by San Antonio.

The exact value of Green’s new contract will depend on when it’s made official. If he signs a minimum-salary deal on Friday, the day after his 10-day contract expires, he’d earn $695,526 the rest of the way, with a $439,475 cap hit.

Texas Notes: J. Green, Carroll, Cousins, Doncic

February 22nd, 2020 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jeff Green looked right at home in his debut with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. In his first game since being waived by the Jazz on December 24, Green scored 17 points in 24 minutes as Houston won big Thursday night at Golden State.

“I just came ready to play,” he said. “I mean, I’m in shape, so I just tried to do whatever I needed to do to help the team win. I have a beautiful wife who allowed me to do what I needed to do and that’s all I need to say about that. I have great trainers at home and when I was home for this time, my wife allowed to me to really focus on what I needed to do.”

The Rockets are Green’s ninth NBA team since entering the league in 2007, making him one of seven active players to be with that many organizations, Feigen adds. Ish Smith is the active leader with 11 teams.

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

DeMarre Carroll, another new Rocket, had a disappointing stay with the Spurs, but his presence on the team will be missed, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News (Twitter link). “I’ve known DeMarre since college, we came in together, played with him in Toronto,” DeMar DeRozan said. “Just a great guy. It’s part of the league. Everyone comes and goes, but friendships and memories last forever.” Carroll appeared in just 15 games after signing with the Spurs last summer.
The Mavericks might have been willing to gamble on DeMarcus Cousins, but they don’t want to part with anyone on their current roster, owner Mark Cuban tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The veteran center has missed the entire season with a torn ACL in his left knee, but recently offered hope that he might be ready for the playoffs. The Lakers plan to waive Cousins and add Markieff Morris once he clears waivers tomorrow. “We don’t have any roster spots,” Cuban said. “If we had a roster spot, we would probably do something, but we don’t. And there’s nobody we want to release.”
Mavericks star Luka Doncic sat out tonight’s game with a sore ankle, but coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t expect it to be a long-term issue, Townsend tweets.

Southwest Notes: Bertans, Green, Popovich

February 18th, 2020 at 10:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Davis Bertans, who was traded to Washington during the offseason, says he still has love for the Spurs, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News relays.

“I am definitely grateful for the opportunity they gave me,” said Bertans. “Coming off two (knee) injuries, a lot of teams might have given up on me after the first one. Just having a chance to go there and learn from one of the best coaches in history, if not the best one (was great). Even though they traded me, I still love them for what they did for me.”

The Spurs initially intended to keep Bertans on their roster. Over the summer, they had the mid-level exception available and had agreed to sign DeMarre Carroll with that tool. Then, Marcus Morris wanted to come to town and the team pivoted to using the MLE on the forward and crafted a sign-and-trade for Carroll that sent Bertans to Washington.

Morris eventually backed out of the agreement, but the deal to send Bertans elsewhere was already in motion.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Jeff Green, who inked a contract with the Rockets, has previously played with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook and he’s happy to team up with them again. “It’s going to be special to see those two guys, the way they’ve grown. It’s been wonderful. As a fan of the game it’s been great to see. I’m excited to be w/ them again,” Green said (via Fox 26 Houston’s Mark Berman on Twitter).
The Spurs‘ 22-year playoff streak could come to an end this season and not everyone is surprised about the potential outcome, as Orsborn relays in a separate piece. “It happens to the best of them,” said Robert Horry, who won two titles with San Antonio. “It happened to the Celtics, it happened to the Lakers. People don’t understand how dominant the Spurs have been over the years, but it was bound to come to an end.”
There has been plenty of speculation about Gregg Popovich retiring from coaching Team USA after the Olympics this summer, but Jerry Colangelo, who is the managing director of USA Basketball, said he hasn’t had any conversations with Pop about it yet. “It’s really going to be how he feels, [with] age, health [factors],” Colangelo said (via Orsborn in the same piece). “This doesn’t pertain to him, but I would say this about most people, most coaches: If you lose your fire, it’s probably time to step away. But as long as you have that desire and fire in your belly, why not [continue]?”

Jeff Green Signs 10-Day Deal With Rockets

February 18th, 2020 at 7:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 18, 7:19pm: The Rockets have signed Green to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.

FEBRUARY 17, 6:31pm: Green will initially sign a 10-day contract, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. That will give him a chance to see how he fits in before making a rest-of-the-season commitment, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

FEBRUARY 17, 5:56pm: Free agent forward Jeff Green has agreed to sign with the Rockets, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Green was waived by the Jazz earlier this season.

Green, 33, has bounced around the NBA in recent years, spending time with seven franchises in the past six seasons. While he has been a regular rotation player and occasional starter for every team he has played for, he was off to a slow start in Utah, averaging career lows in PPG (7.8), RPG (2.7), MPG (18.4), FG% (.385), and a handful of other categories. The Jazz let him go in order to sign a younger player, Rayjon Tucker.

With Green joining the fold and DeMarre Carroll expected to sign with the club once he clears waivers, the Rockets will have a full roster as well as fortifying their frontcourt. By adding two forwards rather than a center, Houston is clearly embracing small ball. The club has utilized P.J. Tucker in the middle in recent games since trading traditional center Clint Capela.

Green signed a one year, $2.56MM contract with Jazz last summer. If he signs a minimum-salary, rest-of-season deal with the Rockets, it would fall below $1.4MM, eliminating set-off and allowing Green to double-dip from Utah and Houston, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That would push his total salary for the season to $3.1MM, Marks adds.

Sixers Express Interest In Galloway, Kennard, Green

January 11th, 2020 at 1:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Sixers, reeling from a recent injury to center Joel Embiid and still missing departed 2019 free agent wings Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick, are apparently seeking reinforcements this season.

Philadelphia has “expressed interest” in Pistons wings Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway, plus free agent forward Jeff Green, multiple league sources tell Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Kennard, currently out with a minor knee injury, has blossomed into the sharpshooter the Pistons were dreaming the ex-Dukie could be when they drafted him at No. 12 in 2017 this season. The 6’5″ swingman is averaging 15.8 PPG while shooting 44.2% from the field, 39.9% from deep on 6.5 shots taken per night, and 89.3% from the free-throw line. Kennard is earning $3.8MM this season in the third year of his rookie deal and is owed $5.3MM in 2020/21.

Galloway, in the final year of a three-season, $21MM contract he inked with Detroit in 2017, is converting 39.9% of his 5.2 attempts from three-point range and 87.7% from the charity stripe. Both Pistons players could improve the Sixers’ floor spacing. The 25-14 Sixers are currently seeded fifth in a tough Eastern Conference.

The oft-traveled Green, 33, has played for eight NBA teams across 12 NBA seasons and appeared in 30 games for the Jazz on a $2.6MM veteran’s minimum salary this season before being waived on December 23. He logged 23.8 MPG and was a key defensive cog in the Cavaliers’ most recent trip to the NBA Finals in 2018. The 6’8″ Green is averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG and shooting a decent 32.7% from three-point range this season. He could help spell injured Sixers All-Star Embiid in line-ups alongside Al Horford.

Central Notes: Porter Jr., Oladipo, Green, Forman

December 27th, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

One of the big reasons why the Cavaliers made the Jordan Clarkson trade was to open up minutes for rookie Kevin Porter Jr., according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The team was aware that Clarkson would likely leave as an unrestricted free agent over the summer, while Porter is one of the team’s building blocks, Fedor continues. Teammates, coaches and members of the front office have raved about Porter’s talent for months, Fedor adds, and by moving Clarkson there’s more playing time available for the 30th overall pick in the draft.

We have more from the Central Division:

While ESPN reported that Victor Oladipo is aiming to return in late January or early February, Pacers coach Nate McMillan insists no timetable has been set for his star guard’s return, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star relays. Oladipo continues to work his way back from a serious quad injury suffered last season.“No. We haven’t come up with a date,” McMillan said. “I saw that report. We haven’t come up with a timeline for him to return.”
Veteran forward Jeff Green could fill a need for the Bulls, according to Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago. They are dealing with injuries at the small forward spot and Green, who was waived by Utah earlier this week, could help in that area. Otto Porter Jr.‘s foot ailment seems to be a long-term issue, Walton notes. The Bulls would have to open up a roster spot to sign Green since they’re currently at the maximum level.
Gar Forman’s draft record with the Bulls has been solid but unspectacular over the past four years with the club in rebuild mode, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines. Forman’s best pick was selecting Lauri Markkanen in the 2017 draft, Cowley notes.

Jeff Green Clears Waivers, Becomes Free Agent

December 26th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after being released by the Jazz, veteran forward Jeff Green has gone unclaimed and cleared waivers, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Green is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.

Green, 33, has bounced around the NBA in recent years, spending time with seven franchises in the past six seasons. While he has been a regular rotation player and occasional starter for every team he has played for, he was off to a slow start in Utah, averaging career lows in PPG (7.8), RPG (2.7), MPG (18.4), FG% (.385), and a handful of other categories. The Jazz reportedly loved Green’s professionalism, but felt their bench needed a shake-up.

Since he was on a minimum-salary contract, Green was a candidate to be claimed off waivers, since teams wouldn’t have faced cap obstacles to bring him aboard. However, few teams around the NBA have available roster spots.

While Green is a free agent for now, I’d expect him to catch on with another team on a prorated minimum-salary deal before the end of the season.

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Western Notes: Jazz, Kings, Grizzlies, Spurs

December 25th, 2019 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

There haven’t been a ton of roster moves made around the NBA since the regular season began, but the Jazz completed a surprising one this week, officially waiving forward Jeff Green on Tuesday, less than six months after signing him as a free agent. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the team loved Green’s professionalism, but wanted to open up minutes for Georges Niang, whose shooting is a threat off the bench.

While Niang might be the main beneficiary of Green’s departure, sources tell Jones that Utah is also very happy with two-way player Jarrell Brantley and views him as a rotation player at some point. Additionally, John Hollinger of The Athletic suggested on Monday that the Jazz may want to create more minutes for G League standout Juwan Morgan, who signed a standard contract with the club last month.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The Kings had to get by without De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III for much of the season’s first two months. Now, with both players healthy, the challenge will be integrating Fox and Bagley while the team finds its identity, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. “There’s some things as a group that we have to find our rhythm again,” head coach Luke Walton said over the weekend. “I believe in our group and we are going to get there, but in the meantime, the only way to do is to watch film and work harder. So that’s what we are going to do.”
When the Grizzlies played back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday last week, rookies Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke appeared in both contests for the first time this season. Expect that to happen more often going forward, says David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The Spurs have begun to see “positive steps” in the development of 2018 first-rounder Lonnie Walker, who has been playing more regular minutes lately, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details. Head coach Gregg Popovich said Walker is still learning how to “be a pro” and play with his teammates, but praised the 21-year-old’s intelligence.