Royce White Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: White, Scola, Cook

January 19th, 2013 at 3:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have lost six straight, and could drop to .500 if they lose tonight against the banged-up Wolves. They've already fallen out of the top eight teams in the Western Conference, as they sit percentage points behind the Blazers for the last playoff spot. Already this afternoon we heard about their interest in Josh Smith, and there's more noise coming out of Houston, as we round up here.

Royce White wants the Rockets to hire a doctor who would have the authority to determine whether his psychological ailments will allow him to play before each game, he told HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" in an interview that will air Tuesday. David Barron of the Houston Chronicle has the details, noting that the White's demands for such medical protocols to be part of a written agreement between the player and the team would violate the CBA.
Luis Scola didn't expect the Rockets to amnesty him this summer, but he wasn't completely caught off guard when the team sent him away, as he tells Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. "I was ready for some closure, and when I knew that they were going to amnesty me I thought it was a good thing because I could finally focus on playing and get some closure and know for sure where I was going to play next season and just move on," the power forward said. "I wish I could have stayed in Houston because it was a good place, but now I am happy in Phoenix. It’s a nice city, great organization, great fans."
Brigham also checked in with Daequan Cook, whom the Bulls picked up right after the Rockets waived him earlier this month. With the new address came a change in the locker room atmosphere around him. "Nothing against Houston, but there are just mature guys in here, some veterans guys and guys who played in the league for so long where you can just tell the difference,” Cook said.

Western Notes: White, Nowitzki, Wolves, Blazers

January 8th, 2013 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

So far, votes are virtually evenly split on whether or not the Lakers will earn a playoff spot this season in the competitive Western Conference. You can weigh in with your vote and/or comments on our afternoon poll right here. As the Lakers prepare to face the Rockets tonight in Houston, let's check in on a few Western Conference notes relating to the Rockets and a handful of other clubs….

Royce White appeared on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, and went into detail in discussing his relationship with the Rockets and the mental health protocol he's hoping to establish. You can listen to the conversation at about the 24:15 mark of the podcast or view the complete transcript over at Slate.com.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says he expects Dirk Nowitzki to remain with the Mavericks for the rest of his career, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Nowitzki recently questioned some of the Mavs' roster-building strategies, but insisted he wants to remain in Dallas and not be traded.
Even though Kevin Love will be out for an extended period, the Timberwolves, like every other team in the NBA, aren't currently interested in Kenyon Martin, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey isn't looking to make superficial changes to his team's roster, but is ready to make a move if the right kind of deal arises, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes.
Terrel Harris, who was cut this weekend by the Heat, will join the Rockets' D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle clarifies (via Twitter) that Harris won't be part of Houston's 15-man roster, but the Vipers are operated by the Rockets, who want to take a look at the guard.

Western Notes: Lakers, White, Nowitzki, Wolves

January 7th, 2013 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Things aren't getting any easier in Lakerland, where Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Jordan Hill have all been sidelined with injuries. Howard suffered a torn labrum, Gasol has a concussion, and Hill is dealing with a hip issue, meaning the Lakers' frontcourt looks awfully thin in the short-term. While Robert Sacre looks forward to more playing time and we wait to see if the Lakers add another body, let's round up a few more notes out of the Western Conference….

The Lakers haven't reached out to free agent big man Kenyon Martin, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonder if the Lakers should consider trading Howard.
The Rockets are prepared to chalk up 2012/13 as a lost season for Royce White and attempt to reach some sort of agreement with the rookie forward in the offseason, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt and TNT's David Aldridge have the latest details on White, including his desire for the NBA and the Rockets to sign a document detailing his wishes for the mental health protocol that the team believes would be in violation of the CBA.
Despite recent comments by Dirk Nowitzki questioning the Mavericks' approach to building the roster, owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that Dallas won't be altering that approach. "If you only knew the things [Dirk] has said to me during recent seasons about our team," Cuban joked. "I'm glad I didn't listen."
Nowitzki stressed to reporters today, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he never said he wanted to be traded.
The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on Sam Young, who was released by the Pacers this weekend, but he's unlikely to land in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Young is currently out with an ankle injury.
It would be a surprise if the Timberwolves don't move Derrick Williams at the trade deadline, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.

Odds & Ends: Guaranteed Contracts, Nowitzki, Lakers

January 6th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Tomorrow at 5PM EST marks a significant deadline in the NBA, as players who are currently on non-guaranteed contracts kept after that point will have their deals guaranteed for the rest of the season. While the official deadline for contracts to become fully guaranteed is listed as January 10, ESPN's Marc Stein pointed out yesterday that teams who decide to release a player on a non-guaranteed contract will have to do so by tomorrow in order for them to clear waivers by Thursday. We've seen quite a handful of teams release some of their non-guaranteed pacts today, and with less than 24 hours left to go, there could be more of those types of transactions to come. With that in mind, you can find tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here:

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the need for Minnesota's Derrick Williams to step up and contribute with Kevin Love sidelined by a hand injury.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas notes Dirk Nowitzki's feelings of uncertainty with the direction of the Mavericks' franchise and expressed thoughts on whether or not he should be traded. After acknowledging the team's failed attempt of luring Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, Nowitzki didn't seem too enthused about Dallas' chances of adding a marquee name of that caliber in the near future.
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler thinks that Lakers' rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom could be the next in line to be waived in order to avoid paying more luxury tax on their deals. He also thinks that Johnson-Odom would be more likely to be released than Sacre (Twitter links).
Michael Lee of The Washington Post wrote that tonight's matchup with the Heat and tomorrow's game against the Thunder are critical for Wizards guards Garrett Temple and Shelvin Mack, who are both currently on non-guaranteed contracts.
During an interview on NBC's Chris Mannix Show, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said that there is a very good chance that the Grizzlies move Rudy Gay or one of their high-salaried contracts by the February trade deadline. Also, he does not believe Royce White will ever play in the NBA (Twitter links).
Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets that it's not unusual for teams to waive a player before their contract becomes guaranteed before subsequently re-signing him for the rest of the season.
After last night's win at the Target Center, Trail Blazers swingman Nicolas Batum admitted that he drew some motivation from wanting to prove to the Timberwolves and their fans that he was worth the offer sheet that Minnesota presented to him last summer (Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports).

Rockets Suspend Royce White

January 6th, 2013 at 10:31am CST by Chuck Myron

10:31am: The suspension is without pay, as Feigen confirms. White tweets his response, writing, "Threat, Fines, Suspension won't deter me. I won't accept illogical health decisions, I will keep asking for safety & health."

10:02am: The Rockets have suspended Royce White, sources tell Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). It will be a one-week suspension, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. It's the latest setback for the 16th overall pick in the draft this past June, who said this week there's a "very high" chance he'll never play in the NBA, and refused an assignment to the D-League last weekend.

In a statement, Rockets GM Daryl Morey said the suspension is for "refusing to provide services as required by his Uniform Player Contract," as Berman details (Twitter links). Morey also said the Rockets will continue to work with White, who has yet to make his debut for Houston as he seeks accomodations for his obsessive-compulsive and generalized anxiety disorders, which manifest in a fear of flying. White dismissed the idea of playing for another NBA team in a radio interview this week, and the Rockets have no intention of releasing him, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last week.

The suspension doesn't come as a surprise to White, Feigen tweets. The rookie has been unable to reach an accord with Morey despite having engaged in talks for the last week. Still, it's not clear exactly what the suspension accomplishes, since White is already estranged from the team. After White spoke on the radio last week, Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com wrote that White has yet to receive a paycheck due to the fines he's incurred during his absence from the team, which dates back to mid-November. The Rockets had fined White for every day he missed or failed to meet with Dr. Aaron Fink, the team-assigned therpist, but White said in November that he had begun seeing Fink and was no longer being fined.

Western Notes: Nolan Smith, Royce White, Mavs

January 4th, 2013 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

You could make a convincing case that the biggest NBA news out of the Western Conference so far today has been Kobe Bryant's arrival on Twitter. With just a single tweet to his name, Kobe has already racked up over 200,000 followers, a figure that continues to grow exponentially. There's plenty going on around the rest of the conference too though, so let's check out a few links….

Trail Blazers point guard Nolan Smith, a former 21st overall pick, is on a mission to prove that he's not a bust, and feels good about his impending free agency, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Royce White appeared on SiriusXM radio to discuss his refusal of a D-League assignment, and both Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside have passed along a few of White's more interesting comments. Among them: White suggested the chances that he never plays in the NBA are "very high" and said that playing for a team besides the Rockets wouldn't be a solution.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News expects O.J. Mayo to score a big contract next summer, but isn't sure it'll come from the Mavericks. The Mavs figure to be targeting the top free agents of the class before circling back to Mayo, according to Sefko.
Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News is critical of the make-up of the Mavericks' roster, opining that with so many players on expiring deals, they're playing for contracts rather than wins.
The Jazz announced today that Mo Williams underwent successful surgery on his injured right thumb, as Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune writes.
Roster construction has been a bigger problem than DeMarcus Cousins for the Kings, according to Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com.

Western Notes: White, Beverley, Childress, Kings

January 3rd, 2013 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a report surfaced recently suggesting that Royce White could explore the possibility of playing in Europe, where he wouldn't have to fly to games, the Rockets rookie insists that's not the case. He announced today via Twitter that he expects to play for Houston "once this current situation is resolved." White turned down a D-League assignment earlier this week, citing a lack of a mental health protocol.

Here are a few more Thursday updates out of the Western Conference:

Patrick Beverley is still expected to sign with the Rockets, once he receives FIBA clearance, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Beverley's deal, which we heard about back in December, will mean the Rockets will have to release another player to clear a roster spot.
Josh Childress isn't interested in a 10-day contract at this point, so the Timberwolves or any other team would have to give him a full-season guarantee if they were to sign him, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, word in NBA circles suggests that "major change" is coming to the Kings next summer when Geoff Petrie's contract ends and new management is brought in.
DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans are among the names Ian Thomsen of SI.com thinks will be dangled before the trade deadline, suggesting that if the Kings are considering a "major house-cleaning," both players could be moved.

International Notes: Martin, White, Oberto

January 2nd, 2013 at 5:43pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest rumors about NBA players signing internationally on Wednesday evening:

Sports Interactive Network Philippines is reporting that agent Sheryl Reyes has begun negotiating with representatives for former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin about possibly playing in the Philippines, although no deal is close between the sides. Martin last played in the NBA for the Clippers in 2011/12.
Sportando reports that the agent for troubled Rockets forward Royce White will listen to offers from several European teams, and a loan arrangement with the Rockets is possible.
Sportando also reports that former Spurs big man Fabricio Oberto, who retired from the NBA in 2010 due to heart problems, will apparently sign with Atenas de Cordoba, in his native Argentina.

Rockets Sign James Anderson, Cut Cook

January 2nd, 2013 at 10:30am CST by Sean Highkin

WEDNESDAY, 10:30am: The Rockets have officially signed Anderson and waived Cook, the team announced today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 4:44pm: Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets that Anderson's deal with the Rockets will be for three years, the third of which will be a team option. Daequan Cook is expected to be waived in order to clear a roster spot for Anderson.

2:09pm: The Houston Rockets will sign forward James Anderson today, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, via Twitter. It is not yet known whether Anderson's contract is guaranteed.

The timing of the signing is interesting, given the news earlier today that Royce White is refusing an assignment to the D-League on account of his anxiety disorder. The Rockets have previously shown no indication that they are considering waiving White, who has yet to play for the Rockets. The team has 15 players under contract, so waiving a player is necessary to sign him. Of these players, Scott Machado and Greg Smith have nonguaranteed deals, but Smith has been solid in major minutes and the Rockets have shown every indication of wanting to keep Machado. It would seem that White would be next in line to get cut, but the Rockets have yet to make an official announcement on the matter.

In 10 games with the Spurs this season, Anderson averaged 3.4 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 9.4 MPG.

Southwest Notes: Dirk, White, Hornets, Leonard

January 1st, 2013 at 12:57pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Southwest Division on New Year's Day:

Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com thinks the Mavericks should start Dirk Nowitzki. They had previously been bringing him off the bench to ease his integration back into the rotation.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Rockets are considering suspending suspending Royce White for his recent refusal of their D-League assignment.
Hornets coach Monty Williams understands that the development of his young players is more important that making the playoffs in the short term.
Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News praises Kawhi Leonard's recent defensive impact for the Spurs.