Tag: 2020 NBA Free Agency

Rockets announce exit of Robert Covington, arrival of Christian Wood

The Houston Rockets were finally able to finalize their primary transactions from last week, and they sent out two videos for the occasion.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Houston Rockets finally made all of the transactions official from last week’s wave of trade agreements.

As a refresher, the Rockets agreed to trade Robert Covington to Portland last Monday for Trevor Ariza and first-round picks in 2020 and 2021. However, because teams can’t be without a first-round selection in consecutive years, the deal had to wait until after Portland made the “official” choice at No. 16 overall in last Wednesday’s NBA draft.

Covington averaged 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 33.0 minutes per game with the Rockets last season, and the 6-foot-8 forward was among the team’s best and most versatile defenders.

Then, on Wednesday, the Rockets traded that No. 16 pick and Ariza to Detroit for a protected first-round draft choice in 2021. However, that deal couldn’t be made official until after the first trade, since it involved two of the assets that Houston would be receiving from Portland.

Finally, on Friday, the Rockets agreed to sign free agent center Christian Wood, who happened to play for the Pistons last season. Because Detroit had his “early Bird” contract rights, Wood could get more money by working through the Pistons than simply by signing with the Rockets, who were and are above the league’s salary cap. So the original Ariza trade was expanded to include Wood, who was signed-and-traded to Houston.

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Here’s how the team described Wood’s statistical production:

Wood (6-10, 223) was eligible for the 2015 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at UNLV.  The 25-year-old finished eighth in voting for the Most Improved Player award in 2019-20 while averaging 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 62 games for Detroit.

Over his final 22 games played last season, Wood averaged 19.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 56.0% from the floor, 40.3% from 3-point range, and 77.4% from the foul line.  For the season, he joined Enes Kanter (2016-17) as the only players in league history to have averaged at least 13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in fewer than 22.0 mpg in a single season.

Contracts involving 2020 free agents could not be made official until this Sunday. Furthermore, teams also typically put newcomers through a physical examination before finalizing their offseason signings. As a result, it took until Tuesday for the entire chain to be completed.

In effect, the Rockets are sending out Covington and have acquired Wood and two protected future first-round draft choices from Detroit and Portland. Here’s what we currently know of the protection terms:

To commemorate Tuesday’s “official” occasion, the Rockets sent out two videos on their official social media channels to thank Covington for his time in Houston and welcome Wood into the fold. Highlight packages of both players can be seen in those embedded video posts.

Training camps for the 2020-21 NBA season open next Tuesday, Dec. 1. Covington will be in Portland, and Wood in Houston. Ariza has since been moved by the Pistons in a separate trade (the third deal involving Ariza in under a week) to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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DeMarcus Cousins worked out for Rockets, quelled health concerns

“DeMarcus Cousins worked out and impressed the organization, quelling any health concerns,” Chris Haynes said. “He’s as hungry as ever.”

Prior to signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Houston Rockets for one season, DeMarcus Cousins worked out for the team on Monday.

Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, that workout in Houston “impressed the organization, quelling any health concerns.”

“He’s as hungry as ever,” Haynes tweeted of Cousins, who has previously played for Sacramento, New Orleans, and Golden State.

Health is the clear storyline to watch with Cousins. Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound center made the Western Conference All-Star team in four straight years from 2015 through 2018. A powerful yet agile big man, Cousins has averaged 21.2 points (46.1% FG) and 10.9 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game over his nine NBA seasons.

Yet, Cousins was available for a limited investment due to continued bad luck with injuries. He tore his Achilles midway through the 2017-18 season, which also cut short his availability for the ensuing 2018-19 year. Then, after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2019, he tore the ACL in his knee during offseason workouts and missed all of 2019-20.

Cousins is believed to be healthy now and ready for the 2020-21 season, but it remains to be seen how much of his prior form that he will be able to recapture after the series of brutal leg injuries.

From Houston’s perspective, though, it’s a low-risk, high-reward transaction. With newcomer Christian Wood set to start at center, Cousins can begin the 2020-21 season — assuming he makes the roster out of training camp, of course — with limited backup minutes, allowing the four-time All-Star to ease his way back in. And if Cousins proves worthy of more minutes than expected, that’s a good “problem” to have.

At 6-foot-10 and roughly 220 pounds, Wood is certainly athletic enough to play at power forward in larger lineups alongside Cousins, should “Boogie” earn those additional minutes. Both Wood and Cousins have shown an ability to hit 3-pointers, so the floor would still be spaced.

Training camp for the 2020-21 season opens next Tuesday, Dec. 1.

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Veteran center DeMarcus Cousins to sign one-year deal with Rockets

A four-time All-Star center, Cousins didn’t play in last season due to an ACL tear. He’ll likely back up Christian Wood in Houston.

The Rockets have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran center DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. Financial terms weren’t immediately known, but with Houston limited by a hard salary cap, it’s likely to be a relatively small figure.

Cousins, who has previously played for Sacramento, New Orleans, and Golden State over his extended career. is likely to initially slot in with the Rockets as the primary backup to newcomer Christian Wood.

Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound center made the Western Conference All-Star team in every season from 2015 through 2018. A powerful and agile big man, Cousins has averaged 21.2 (46.1% FG) and 10.9 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game over his nine NBA seasons.

Yet, Cousins was available for a limited investment due to continued bad luck with injuries. He tore his Achilles midway through the 2017-18 season, which also cut short his availability for the ensuing 2018-19 year. Then, after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2019, he tore the ACL in his knee during offseason workouts and missed all of 2019-20.

Cousins is believed to be healthy now and ready for the 2020-21 season, but it remains to be seen how much of his prior form that he will be able to recapture after the series of brutal leg injuries.

From Houston’s perspective, though, it’s a low-risk, high-reward transaction. With Wood in place, the Rockets are confident in their starter at center and can ease Cousins back after a long layoff. And if he proves worthy of more minutes than expected, that’s a good problem to have.

At 6-foot-10 and roughly 220 pounds, Wood is certainly athletic enough to play at power forward in larger lineups alongside Cousins, should “Boogie” prove worthy of additional minutes. Both Wood and Cousins have shown an ability to hit 3-pointers, so the floor would still be spaced.

Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Cousins worked out for the team on Monday and impressed the Rockets, “quelling any health concerns.”

Training camp for the 2020-21 season opens next Tuesday, Dec. 1.

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Austin Rivers thanks Houston for ‘amazing experience’ with Rockets

“Appreciated my time in Houston,” Rivers wrote on Twitter. “Truly amazing experience. Loved the city and the people. Thank you.”

Before Austin Rivers signed with their team in late 2018, he wasn’t a fan favorite in Houston. The Rockets and Rivers’ Clippers had become rivals during an intense seven-game playoff series in 2015, and he was known best as a Duke product and the son of Los Angeles’ famous head coach.

But once Rivers became a Rocket and regularly sang the praises of the team, its fans, and the surrounding city, it all changed in a hurry.

While Rivers is no longer in Houston after signing a three-year deal in free agency with the New York Knicks, his two seasons with the Rockets were quite memorable. Early Monday, he took to Twitter to reflect:

Appreciated my time in Houston. Truly amazing experience. Loved the city and the people. Thank you for having my family.

The Rockets finished No. 4 in the Western Conference in both of Rivers’ seasons, with each concluding in the second round of the playoffs.

During those two years in Houston, Rivers averaged 8.7 points (34.0% on 3-pointers) and 2.3 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. Now 28 years old, the 6-foot-4 guard was also valued off the bench for his on-ball defense, and he was respected as a veteran leader in Houston’s locker room.

With the Rockets subject to a hard salary cap after the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood, they were very limited in what they could monetarily offer Rivers this offseason. Thus, the Knicks — with plenty of salary cap room — had a financial advantage and were able to offer a deal worth up to $10 million over three years. They were also able to provide a larger on-court role, since New York doesn’t have established guards in place like Houston’s Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Furthermore, there are numerous family ties for Rivers with the Knicks (where Doc Rivers played from 1992 until 1995) and the Northeast region. Doc will be coaching next season in Philadelphia, which is under 100 miles away, and Austin’s sister, Callie, will also reside in Philadelphia after the recent trade of her husband (Seth Curry) from Dallas to the 76ers.

Between those factors and more money, Austin is probably quite pleased with how his personal free agency turned out. However, it seems clear that he will still look back on his years in Houston quite fondly.

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Veteran guard Austin Rivers leaving Rockets to join Knicks

During two seasons in Houston, Rivers averaged 8.7 points (34.0% on 3-pointers) and 2.3 assists in 25.6 minutes per game.

After two years with the Rockets, free agent guard Austin Rivers is moving on to the New York Knicks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

During two seasons in Houston, Rivers averaged 8.7 points (34.0% on 3-pointers) and 2.3 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. Now 28 years old, the 6-foot-4 guard was also valued off the bench for his on-ball defense.

With the Rockets subject to a hard salary cap after the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood, they were very limited in what they could offer Rivers. Thus, the Knicks — which had a sizable amount of salary cap room — likely had a financial advantage. They might also be able to offer Rivers a larger on-court role, since New York doesn’t have established guards in place like Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Houston should be able to replace some of the loss in perimeter defense with newcomers like Sterling Brown and David Nwaba. However, they will likely need to bring in another point guard with ball-handling skills to replace Rivers’ duties as the primary backup to Westbrook.

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Rockets signing forward Jae’Sean Tate to three-year contract

The 6-foot-4 forward, expected to be a rugged option in the frontcourt, had played in Australia for new Rockets assistant Will Weaver.

It had been suggested last week, and now the Houston Rockets do have a contract agreement with free agent forward Jae’Sean Tate.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, it’s a three-year pact for Tate and the Rockets. Financial terms were not immediately known, but the third year suggests that Houston used at least a portion of its mid-level exception (or biannual exception), since a standard minimum exception deal is not allowed to be of three years in length.

Now 25 years old, Tate played for the Sydney Kings last season in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL), where the head coach was new Houston assistant Will Weaver. Fellow free agent newcomers Christian Wood and Sterling Brown are also 25, which should give Houston — which had one of the NBA’s oldest rosters last season — a much-needed infusion of youth heading into the 2020-21 season.

Tate played his college basketball at Ohio State (2014-2018) before joining the Antwerp Giants (2018-19) in Belgium and then Sydney (2019-20) last season. While he’s only 6-foot-4, he weighs 230 pounds and is strong and versatile enough to play on the front line.

Here’s how John Hollinger of The Athletic described Tate as part of a recent scouting report on free agents at small forward:

The Ohio State product had a massive year in Australia after a solid 2019 Summer League; as such, he’s quickly become one of the most highly-regarded players based outside the U.S. … Tate is listed at just 6-4 but has a strong frame and plus athleticism; he is comfortable battling in the paint and actually played power forward in Australia. His 3-point shot (40.5 percent in Australia last year, just 27.7 percent in college) will be the swing skill for him.

Rockets to sign former Bucks guard Sterling Brown to one-year deal

Known best for his defense, the 6-foot-5 Brown averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game for Milwaukee last season.

The Houston Rockets agreed to a one-year contract on Sunday with 25-year-old guard Sterling Brown, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Financial terms were not immediately disclosed. With the Rockets subject to a hard salary cap following the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood, a veteran’s minimum contract would seem to be most likely.

Known best for his defense, the 6-foot-5 Brown averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game for Milwaukee last season. When given playing time, Brown’s athleticism, strength and bulk (232 pounds), and a 6-foot-10 wingspan allows him to be a tough, gritty defender. That physicality also makes him an strong rebounder for his position.

Brown was selected in the second round in the 2017 draft and is now entering his fourth NBA season. His best year as a professional came in the 2018-19 season, when he averaged 6.4 points in 17.8 minutes per game on 46.5% shooting from the field, including 36.1% on 3-pointers.

Should Brown recapture that 2018-19 form from 3-point range, it could make him a valuable “3&D” wing player for the Rockets. (For his career, Brown shoots 41.7% overall and 34.5% from 3-point range.)

In Houston, Brown should serve as useful depth behind established wing players such as James Harden, Danuel House Jr., and Eric Gordon.

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Report: James Harden, Christian Wood played together in offseason

“He and Wood played together in Los Angeles pickup games this offseason,” the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen says of James Harden.

Among the leading questions after the three-year agreement between the Houston Rockets and free agent center Christian Wood are these:

Is that deal enough to satisfy superstar guard James Harden, who recently requested a trade to Brooklyn? And what kind of on-court chemistry might the 31-year-old Harden and his new big man have?

On Saturday night, longtime beat writer Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle offered some optimism: It appears that Harden and Wood have already played together in recent weeks during pickup games.

Feigen writes:

Though Wood’s rise from having to play his way onto the Pistons roster before the season to coveted free agent after made him a bit of a sudden sensation, Harden should know his game well. He and Wood played together in Los Angeles pickup games this offseason.

An athletic 6-foot-10 big man with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Wood averaged 13.1 points (56.7% shooting, 38.6% on 3-pointers) and 6.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game in Detroit last season. He is only 25 years old, which gives Houston — one of the NBA’s oldest teams — both a short-term frontcourt upgrade and a key building block for years to come.

Perhaps the best part of all for Harden and the Rockets is that Wood might not be done improving. After the Pistons traded starting center Andre Drummond in early February, Wood took advantage of a larger role by averaging 22.3 points (56.2% FG, 41.0% on 3-pointers) and 9.5 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game over the rest of Detroit’s season.

It remains to be seen if that production will hold over a full season, and whether it’s enough to reconvince Harden about the Rockets as his long-term NBA home. But with training camp for the 2020-21 season set to open on Dec. 1, his offseason experience with Wood certainly can’t hurt.

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Jeff Green leaves Rockets in free agency to sign with Brooklyn

Houston could be looking for a new backup center in free agency, now that veteran Jeff Green has chosen to sign with Brooklyn.

The Houston Rockets could be looking for a new backup center in free agency after versatile veteran Jeff Green chose to sign with Brooklyn.

Green will make the veteran’s minimum salary with the Nets, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, which means that Houston was presumably not outbid after speaking with the 6-foot-8 big man on Friday night. All indications were that the Rockets wanted to retain his services after Green’s successful stint with the team at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Instead, Green — an East Coast native — simply preferred the fit with the Nets, it appears. There also seems to be a personal connection, since Green and Brooklyn superstar Kevin Durant were teammates in Seattle and Oklahoma City early in their NBA careers.

Green averaged 12.2 points (56.4% FG) and 2.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game with the Rockets last season, largely as the team’s backup center. While newcomer Christian Wood will likely start at that position in the 2020-21 season, Houston is still looking for a potential backup there.

Because the Rockets are taking in Wood as part of a sign-and-trade, the Rockets will have a hard salary cap this season at the luxury tax “apron” level of about $138.9 million in total payroll. As a result, the minimum salary is the most the Rockets could realistically offer to Green or other free agents, since they are already tight on financial space.

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NBA world reacts as Rockets sign emerging big man Christian Wood

Here’s a sampling of the social media reaction from Houston and well beyond to the three-year, $41-million pact with Christian Wood.

The Houston Rockets are excited about their three-year, $41-million contract agreement with big man Christian Wood, and with good reason.

An athletic 6-foot-10 big man with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Wood averaged 13.1 points (56.7% shooting, 38.6% on 3-pointers) and 6.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game in Detroit last season. He is only 25 years old, which gives Houston — one of the NBA’s oldest teams — both a short-term frontcourt upgrade and a key building block for years to come.

Perhaps the best part of all is that Wood might not be done improving. After the Pistons traded starting center Andre Drummond in early February, Wood took advantage of a larger role by averaging 22.3 points (56.2% FG, 41.0% on 3-pointers) and 9.5 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game over the remaining 15 games of Detroit’s 2019-20 season.

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Wood will slot into Houston’s projected starting lineup, which for the moment includes James Harden, Russell Westbrook, P.J. Tucker, Wood, and either Danuel House Jr. or Eric Gordon at small forward.

As such, despite a turbulent offseason headlined by the departure of GM Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni along with recent trade requests by Harden and Westbrook, there’s finally reason for at least some optimism in Houston. Here’s a sampling of how Twitter responded to Friday night’s bombshell news, both in Houston and well beyond.