The Rockets Houston

Ale Len #25 of the Sacramento Kings (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) With Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone prioritizing the veterans minimum, let’s take a look at seven players that could be added on the minimum. Newly promoted Houston Rockets general manager and first time executive Rafael Stone faces challenges with the current Rockets roster, as the Rockets have $129.3 million committed to nine players, which doesn’t even include reserve guard Austin Rivers, who holds a player’s option. Stone has expressed the importance of bringing in seasoned veterans on the minimum, and rightfully so, as the Rockets have struck gold with players such as Gerald Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, Kenneth Faried, and Jeff Green over the years. On Saturday, Stone joined Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and discussed the importance of the Rockets identifying solid contributors on the veterans-minimum. “It depends entirely on what we think we can do with our minimum exception. ...

For a few years now, the Houston Rockets have seen themselves as championship contenders — and they came close to a ring with the James Harden/Chris Paul team in 2018 that was up 3-2 on the Warriors in the conference finals. Last season, with Russell Westbrook, the small-ball Rockets talked title but never looked like a threat to the West’s elite. Houston heads into next season with a new coach in Stephen Silas and a new GM in Rafael Stone, but Stone told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle in a Q&A the goal of winning a title has not changed. “We’re still all-in. Our goal is to win a championship. We’ll do anything we can to get us closer to that goal.” “The good news is we have really, really good basketball players… I’m getting a talented roster that has already won; not to the level we want but won in a big way. It’s about being very smart to keep the good stuff and be additive. You don’t want to do anything rash. You want to see if there are changes that will help…....

The Houston Rockets are close to reaching an agreement with John Lucas to be an assistant on the staff of new coach Stephen Silas, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic . Since 2016, Lucas has worked with the Rockets as the director of player development for previous head coach Mike D’Antoni. The 66-year-old veteran coach was reportedly one of three finalists in Houston’s recent search for the lead job, alongside Silas and Jeff Van Gundy. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Lucas was a head coach with San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. His age and extensive experience could be a good fit with the 47-year-old Silas, who is becoming an NBA head coach for the first time. Lucas also has existing relationships with current Houston players like All-Star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook, which is part of why he was a finalist for the main job. The Rockets are near agreement on deal with John Lucas to be an assistant coach under Stephen Silas, sources...

Although Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas is known for improving players and building rapport with superstars, will he be able to do the same for Russell Westbrook?  New Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas has a great track record in player development, as he scouted for the Washington Wizards in 2005-2006, which is one of the many jobs he’s held in the league. All in all, Silas has worked with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kemba Walker, and Luka Doncic. Silas was successful with each of those players he worked with, in addition to the teams he’s coached. Considering his proven success with superstars it’s worth wondering whether can Silas do the same thing with Russell Westbrook. As the Houston Rockets got dismantled in five games by the 2020 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook took a ton of criticism, in part because of his poor shooting. Westbrook shot 24 percent from the perimeter, as the Lakers left him wide-open. During the regular season, Westbrook shot a ...

Hoops Rumors is previewing the 2020 offseason for all 30 NBA teams. We’re looking at the key questions facing each club, as well as the roster decisions they’ll have to make this fall. Today, we’re focusing on the Houston Rockets . Salary Cap Outlook Nearly identical $41MM salaries for James Harden and Russell Westbrook will prevent the Rockets from opening up any cap space this offseason, barring a major roster shakeup. With over $123MM in guaranteed money already committed to just six players, Houston is in position to surpass the luxury tax threshold in 2020/21 unless the club cuts costs. For now, we’re assuming the Rockets will be operating with the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.72MM) rather than the full MLE or the bi-annual. Our full salary cap preview for the Rockets can be found right here. Roster Decisions To Watch Options: Non-Guaranteed Contracts: Two-Way Contracts: Free Agents: 2020 Draft Assets First Round: Second Round: While it remains possible that ...

FS1’s Shannon Sharpe gave credit to Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook, while also throwing shade at Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook‘s first season with the Houston Rockets was largely a success, as the Rockets finished with the fourth seed in the Western Conference and were eliminated by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. This was in lieu of rumors throughout the season that former coach Mike D’Antoni was going to be parting ways with the franchise, in addition to the Rockets’ decision to alter their strategy mid-season by trading away center Clint Capela. Westbrook was coming off an impressive 11-year run with the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he reached the NBA Finals, led the league in scoring twice, made eight All-NBA teams, and was named to eight All-Star teams. Westbrook and Kevin Durant were one of the best young duos in the league during their playing days together before Durant left to join the Golden State ...

The next-gen edition of NBA 2K21 on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X will be released in early November, and 2K is now rolling out updated player ratings for the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season. Due to COVID-19’s disruption of the usual NBA calendar, next season isn’t likely to begin on the court until at least late December. Nonetheless, that delay isn’t expected to affect the video game industry. While NBA 2K21 has not released entire rosters just yet, ratings for many of the league’s elite players have leaked this week. Among those, Houston Rockets star James Harden (96) currently has the game’s No. 3 overall rating. Only LeBron James (98) of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo (97) of the Milwaukee Bucks are higher. Updated list of #2KRatings pic.twitter.com/ILxVsUvOsH — Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 22, 2020 Players are rated across numerous categories on a 1 to 100 scale. Recent All-Stars who are just behind Harden include Golden State’s Steph Curry (95); Brooklyn’...

Led by new GM Rafael Stone, the Houston Rockets reportedly plan to spend their taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) this offseason as they seek to upgrade the roster around James Harden and Russell Westbrook. This year’s precise taxpayer MLE level has yet to be finalized, but it was at approximately $5.7 million last season. There’s a larger non-taxpayer MLE available to teams at roughly $9.2 million, but it implements a hard salary cap that cannot be exceeded under any circumstances. Thus, using the taxpayer MLE offers the most flexibility for all scenarios. For teams like the Rockets who are above the NBA’s salary cap, the MLE is the top financial tool available for upgrading their roster. ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon, who regularly covers the Rockets, said this on Brian Windhorst’s latest The Hoop Collective podcast: They do plan to spend the $5.7 million. That’s their Mid-Level Exception without hard-capping themselves. Now, I was told last year that they planned on spending thei...

Newly promoted Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has an approach that differs from Daryl Morey, but one that could prove to be just as effective. Daryl Morey has been the brains of the Houston Rockets operation for the past 13 years, and his tenure was wildly successful, although there are those who would disagree. After Morey landed James Harden in 2012, he pursued some of the biggest names in the league, as he realized the importance of surrounding Harden with a championship-caliber roster. Morey successfully landed future NBA Hall of Famer Dwight Howard, which was a big deal at the time, as Howard was viewed as the next quintessential superstar with the Los Angeles Lakers, as the late Kobe Bryant was on the back end of his legendary career. But although Morey had free agency wins in the form of Howard, he also swung and missed on Jimmy Butler in the 2019 offseason, as the Houston native opted to instead join the Miami Heat. Morey’s greatness was exhibited in the form ...

The Houston Rockets are going through a paradigm shift. General Manager Daryl Morey has resigned from his position and the same holds true for coach Mike D’Antoni. The franchise will be looking for a shooter and a center player in the coming off-season. James Harden has already endured many changes in his eight years with the team. Still, a lot is in the pipeline for the Rockets. All these changes are a result of losing back-to-back two conference semis even after having decent regular-seasons. The organization placed all their bets when they brought Russell Westbrook from OKC to help James Harden with his job. But a “not at his 100 percent” Russ failed to perform in the post-season and they got knocked out. Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni and guard Russell Westbrook look on during the first half of game two of the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Does James Harden need to change his playing style to bring the Rockets...

The Houston Rockets seem to possess a double-edged sword in their arsenal. They have a fat percentage of their salary cap going into the accounts of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The duo was good enough in the regular-season to get them the #4 seed. But they were poor enough in the post-season to enter Game 7 against the Thunder and lose 1-4 against the Lakers. The Rockets have blown away many 1st-round draft picks in recent years and the trend continues. Daryl Morey, who is now stepping down as the GM of Rockets, has always chosen unconventional ways to design the roster. It now seems that the DNA of the organization is here to stay after a recent comment from the team’s owner. [embedded content] The Houston Rockets fans can expect the same leaders in 2020-21 In a recent interview, Tilman Fertitta accepted, “ You have James Harden and Russell Westbrook and you have almost 90 percent of your salaries tied up in them and Eric Gordon.” He added, “ But anytime you have players ...

The Houston Rockets, who were sent home from the NBA in the WCSF, are on a hunt for a new head coach. They were one of the top contenders to make it out of the West, instead; they choked once again. The Rockets faced the LA Lakers in the second round and received a gentleman’s sweep by LA. Following this early exit, head coach Mike D’Antoni called it quits with the team. Star point guard Russell Westbrook’s inability to play at an elite level was one of the biggest reasons for their defeat. But one could only wonder, was D’Antoni responsible for the poor run as well? In a nutshell, yes. D’Antoni made no adjustments for his team, even when they were being outplayed by the Lakers. As a result, the purple and gold had no trouble in defeating the Rockets. The Rockets are testing the market to fill the void for Mike D’Antoni. A fan asked NBA Insider Scoop B to hint at potential candidates for the job. To which, Scoop B replied: “ Houston Rockets head coaching candidates: John Lucas, Ty ...

Fans of the Houston Rockets know names like Hakeem Olajuwon and James Harden, but they had Hall of Fame talent since the earliest days with Elvin Hayes. Elvin Hayes is the first player the Houston Rockets had that eventually made the Hall of Fame as a player. Funny enough, Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley started his playing career on the first Rockets team ever assembled in 1967, but obviously, his induction was as a coach, not a player. Perhaps one of the reasons Hayes is overlooked as a Rockets great is that three out of his initial four years as a Rocket saw him playing for San Diego instead of Houston, as the team did not move to H-Town until 1971. Thus, maybe some fans view those years in a different light since they were not Houston’s team yet. Another reason he may be overlooked is that the majority of his career was not spent playing for the Rockets, and his only championship was not won with the team. Not only that, but his prime stint with the Rockets came in the franchise’s ...

Mike D’Antoni has a celebrated career in which many of his teams perform well in the playoffs. Still, after a mutual departure with the Houston Rockets following another disappointing postseason, he feels like the team did not respect him. D’Antoni’s teams have a reputation for having a fast-paced offense that struggles when the wins matter most, but his ability to get teams there is undeniable. Did D’Antoni get disrespected, or did the Rockets make the right move? A recent article by The Athletic dove into the behind the scenes details. The Mike D’Antoni problem [embedded content] D’Antoni is best-known for his tenure with the Phoenix Suns. With only a partial season in Denver as an interim head coach before this opportunity, D’antoni took over the team in 2003 after his predecessor, Frank Johnson, was fired two-thirds of the way into the season. Not long after, the Suns were the talk of the NBA town. When Steve Nash returned to the team that he first pl...

Houston Rockets Jeff Green (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) The Houston Rockets are intent on playing small ball in 2021. With no draft picks and limited cap space, they’ll need to be active in the trade market to upgrade their roster. Here are three trade targets who could thrive playing small ball. The Houston Rockets want to continue to play small ball. While this has brought criticism from many former players, small lineups are utilized by almost every team in the league today. Where the Rockets differ is that their roster doesn’t include a plan B option if small ball isn’t effective. The downside to this approach reared its ugly head as the Lakers made quick work of the Rockets in the second round. However, the Rockets’ all-in strategy to small ball does have one particular upside. The upside for an all-in approach to small ball is a player at the backend of a team’s roster, with little value to them, might be able to morph into a small-ball stud for the Rockets. The ...

Houston Rockets Austin Rivers (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) With Doc Rivers no longer a coaching option for the Houston Rockets, there are several lessons the Rockets could take away from how the saga unfolded. The surprising addition of Doc Rivers to the 2020 free agent coaching class had the Houston Rockets salivating, as Rivers was easily the best coach on the market. The Rockets were instantly rumored as a potential destination, and rightfully so, as the Rockets should have been enamored with a championship coach. But the Philadelphia 76ers made Rivers their guy, as they instantly snatched him off the market, limiting the Rockets’ options. To add insult to injury, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and franchise star James Harden didn’t expect to have to hire a head coach, as they each wanted to retain Mike D’Antoni’s services, and there was reportedly a plan in place to keep D’Antoni in Houston. With Rivers no longer in the fold, the Rockets must continue on with...

HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets and Second Servings of Houston will conduct their second “Dinner’s On Us” drive-thru food distribution outside of Toyota Center on Thursday, Oct. 8. This event is free and open to the public. “After serving nearly 1,000 families during our first distribution with Second Servings, we saw there was a great need to do another food distribution to serve more Houstonians in need during this difficult year,” said Rockets Community Relations Director Sarah Joseph. The contactless drive-thru food distribution will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. across the street from Toyota Center at the LAZ Parking Lot located at 1317 Austin Street. Volunteers from the Houston Rockets and Second Servings will distribute 2,500 family-sized dinner boxes (equivalent to 20,000 meals), prepared by Hess Corporation’s Food Services Team, along with assorted produce from Brothers Produce and donated Breadman sourdough loaves, Frito-Lay chips and KN95 masks. The mass meal relief...

Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) Eric Gordon’s inconsistent season for the Houston Rockets shows that it’s time to explore potential trade options, but dealing with his large contract means they may have to give up more. It’s safe to assume that Eric Gordon‘s tenure with the Houston Rockets has been successful thus far. Capturing the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2017, Gordon contributed solid minutes for the team right off the bat. Then Gordon was moved to the starting unit and his inconsistencies were exposed. For example, in a game against the Utah Jazz earlier this year, Gordon scored 50 points. He followed it up by dropping eight points and going 1-for-8 from deep against the Portland Trail Blazers. Moving on from Gordon seems like the right move in the upcoming offseason, but last year he signed an extension with the Houston Rockets and will count for about $16 million against the cap this year. That makes trading him more t...

Former Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is expected to meet with the Houston Rockets on Friday or Saturday regarding their coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Rivers just wrapped up a meeting with the 76ers in Philadelphia, but he does not appear to have accepted that job just yet. Per Stephen A. Smith: Doc Rivers was hanging for the Sixers last night, watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Sixers are expected, in all likelihood, to offer him the job to be the head coach. But Houston is in the mix, as well. From what I’m hearing, he could be in H-Town either Friday or Saturday. [embedded content] Both the Sixers and Rockets have attractive jobs in large markets, with two All-Stars at both spots (Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, and James Harden and Russell Westbrook in Houston). The Sixers were swept out of the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while the Rockets were knocked out in the second round out West. Former R...

“With just a couple of major stores open and they’re only open a part of the day, it’s really hard to get the supplies that we need,” Benoit said. "It just shows unity and shows that we care about each other and that nothing keeps us down in this area, we always fight back and we always rebuild.”