Tag: Anthony Lamb

Houston Rockets player salaries for 2021-22, future seasons

As Houston finalizes its roster for the 2021-22 regular season, here’s a rundown of what is on the salary books for this year and beyond.

Although the Houston Rockets are clearly rebuilding and in the early stages of a youth movement, they aren’t yet flush with cash.

For example, when the Rockets traded former MVP Russell Westbrook to Washington in December 2020, they took back another high-priced guard, John Wall. The Wizards had to send out a comparable annual salary figure to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and Houston received a future first-round pick for taking on a contract that was viewed as less desirable. Even though Wall is no longer playing for the Rockets due to a mutual agreement, his contract remains on the books entering the 2021-22 season, with both parties hopeful of a trade once he is owed less money.

Thus, even though the Rockets began their rebuild by trading Westbrook and James Harden, they don’t yet have a clean financial slate. They also have veterans Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. who are still under contracts that were signed in 2019 — when Harden was still in Houston, and a rebuild wasn’t yet being planned by the front office.

Then again, it’s not as if Houston desperately needed cap space in 2021, anyway. Even if the Rockets had the financial ability to sign top free agents during this past offseason, it seems doubtful that any elite veteran player would have wanted to sign with a team that just finished the 2020-21 season with the NBA’s worst record. In a year or two, though, the Rockets could be viewed as a team on the rise with a young core led by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood. In that context, Houston could quickly become a desirable destination for free agents.

That’s assuming they have the money, of course. Courtesy of the HoopsHype salary database, here’s a look at who second-year general manager Rafael Stone has on the books entering 2022 and beyond. This list is sorted by annual salary, ranging from the most to the least.

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Report: Rockets convert Armoni Brooks to two-way contract

Brooks was also on a two-way contract last season, and the conversion allows him to play for most of the 2021-22 season with the Rockets.

Houston has converted the contract of second-year sharpshooter Armoni Brooks to a two-way deal, Keith Smith of Spotrac reported late Wednesday. Brooks also played on a two-way contract last season.

Each NBA team can only have two players on two-way contracts, and entering Wednesday, the Rockets had Anthony Lamb and Tyler Bey signed to two-way deals. One of those players will presumably need to be let go from that contract in order to make room for Brooks.

Under the terms of a two-way, Brooks will be able to shuttle back and forth this season between the Rockets and Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers. The 23-year-old will be eligible to play in up to 50 of the Rockets’ 82 regular-season games, and he will receive a flat salary of $462,629 (half of the rookie minimum).

Brooks was brought to 2021-22 training camp by the Rockets on an Exhibit 10 contract, but he had to be converted to either a two-way deal or a standard contract to stick around for the regular season.

The 6-foot-3 guard has played well in the preseason, averaging 10.0 points (56.3% on 3-pointers) in just 13.2 minutes over Houston’s first three exhibitions. Clearly, that was enough for general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas to want to keep Brooks around.

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Report: Jalen Green, Danuel House Jr. faring well together in Rockets’ scrimmages

According to Kelly Iko, an intrasquad scrimmage team of Jalen Green, Danuel House Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Anthony Lamb is playing well.

They may want the same jersey number, but that doesn’t mean that No. 2 overall draft pick Jalen Green and veteran forward Danuel House Jr. can’t play well together for the Houston Rockets.

In intrasquad scrimmages ahead of the official Sept. 28 opening of training camp, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports that a scrimmage team of Green, House, rookie big man Alperen Sengun, and second-year forward Anthony Lamb is faring extremely well against other groups.

Iko writes:

The Rockets have been hosting intra-roster scrimmages for the past few weeks, and sources say the Green-House-Sengun-Lamb team has been dominating. Green and House have played well off each other, which bodes well for the weeks ahead.

Though he’s primarily a forward for the Rockets, House does have plenty of skills as a passer and playmaker. That may fit well with Green, who flourished in off-ball roles at the NBA’s 2021 summer league. House is also a strong and versatile defender, which could help mask Green’s understandable shortcomings on that end as a 19 year-old rookie.

As for jerseys, House wants the No. 4, and it’s his right to keep it as the veteran. Fortunately, it appears that the jersey storyline isn’t going to affect anything substantive that happens between them on the court.

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Rockets formally announce re-signing of Anthony Lamb

With Anthony Lamb’s contract finalized, the Rockets now have a completely full roster of 20 players for the start of training camp.

The Houston Rockets made Saturday’s reported news official by re-signing second-year forward Anthony Lamb to a two-way contract.

From the announcement:

Lamb (6-foot-6, 225 pounds) was eligible for the 2020 NBA draft following his senior season at Vermont.  He began last season with the Canton Charge of the G League before being acquired by the Rockets affiliate, Rio Grande Valley.

After averaging 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Vipers en route to earning G League Most Improved Player honors, Lamb signed a two-way contract with Houston on March 8.  He appeared in 24 games for the Rockets and scored 20-plus points twice over his final 11 games played.

Now 23 years old, Lamb also earned praise in recent weeks for his defensive play during the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League.

With Lamb’s deal official, Houston is currently at the NBA’s maximum number of players (20) for the start of training camp in late September. Of those 20 players, up to 15 could be signed to standard contracts. Assuming those regular slots are filled — and they are in Houston, at the moment — that leaves room for up to five players on training camp deals (i.e., Exhibit 10) or two-way contracts (limited to two per team).

Lamb joins rookie forward Matthew Hurt as recipients of the two-way deals, which would allow those players to also play in the G League, while Armoni Brooks, Tyler Bey and Daishen Nix are all on Exhibit 10 contracts. While further roster moves are certainly possible, especially since those five players are owed only minimal amounts of guaranteed money, Houston’s roster is completely full for the time being.

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Anthony Lamb officially signs qualifying offer to stay with Rockets

With Anthony Lamb signing the qualifying offer, Houston’s offseason roster is currently at its maximum possible number of 20 players.

Second-year forward Anthony Lamb will report to 2021-22 training camp with the Rockets after signing his qualifying offer, according to a Saturday report by the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. The offer was for another two-way contract, which Lamb played on last season.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Lamb averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game with Houston last season. Now 23 years old, Lamb also earned high marks for his defensive play in summer league.

NBA teams can bring up to 20 players to training camps in late September, but they can only carry a maximum of 15 players under standard contracts. Assuming those regular slots are filled — and they are in Houston, at the moment — that leaves room for up to five players on training camp deals (i.e., Exhibit 10) or two-way contracts.

Lamb joins rookie forward Matthew Hurt on two-way deals, which would allow those players to also play in the NBA G League, while Armoni Brooks, Tyler Bey, and Daishen Nix are all currently on Exhibit 10 contracts. While further roster moves are certainly possible, especially since those five players are owed only minimal amounts of guaranteed money, Houston’s roster is completely full for the time being.

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Anthony Lamb expected to be Rockets’ final training camp addition

Lamb is expected to either accept a qualifying offer for another two-way contract or sign an Exhibit 10 deal, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Second-year forward Anthony Lamb, who earned high marks for strong defensive play at the recent 2021 Las Vegas Summer League, is likely to be back with the Houston Rockets for 2021-22 training camp.

“Lamb is expected to be the final player at camp, either by accepting a qualifying offer [QO] for another two-way contract or with an Exhibit 10 agreement,” reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Lamb played on a two-way deal last season, and the Rockets issued him a QO earlier this offseason to make him a restricted free agent.

NBA teams can bring up to 20 players to training camp, but they can carry a maximum of 15 players under standard contracts. Assuming those regular slots are filled — and they are in Houston, at the moment — that leaves room for up to five players on training camp deals (i.e. Exhibit 10) or two-way contracts. Armoni Brooks, Tyler Bey, and Daishen Nix are all on Exhibit 10 deals, while Matthew Hurt is on a two-way deal. Barring a transaction to free up an additional roster spot, that leaves only one spot remaining, and it appears set to go to Lamb.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Lamb averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game with Houston last season. He’s now 23 years old.

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Rockets release behind-the-scenes documentary of 2021 summer league

The team’s behind-the-scenes footage is focused on first-round draft picks Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and Josh Christopher.

The Houston Rockets released a new documentary this week highlighting their recent stint at the NBA’s 2021 Las Vegas Summer League.

Published on the team’s YouTube page, the film features behind-the-scenes footage from practices and all five games, in which the Rockets went 3-2. Not surprisingly, the focus is on recent first-round draft picks Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and Josh Christopher.

Statistically, here’s a look at how each of Houston’s top players fared during their time at the NBA’s annual summer showcase.

  • Jalen Green (3 games): 20.3 points (51.4% FG, 52.6% on 3-pointers), 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists in 24.1 minutes
  • Armoni Brooks (2 games): 17.5 points (44.4% FG, 42.9% on 3-pointers), 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes
  • Josh Christopher (5 games): 16.8 points (38.5% FG, 18.2% on 3-pointers), 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists in 27.2 minutes
  • Alperen Sengun (4 games): 14.5 points (43.2% FG, 37.5% on 3-pointers), 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.8 assists in 25.0 minutes
  • KJ Martin (4 games): 12.5 points (47.6% FG, 31.2% on 3-pointers), 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 blocks in 28.3 minutes
  • Khyri Thomas (2 games): 10.0 points (27.8% FG, 36.4% on 3-pointers), 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists in 27.6 minutes
  • Anthony Lamb (5 games): 7.2 points (36.1% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 23.2 minutes
  • Usman Garuba (3 games): 4.0 points (33.3% FG), 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals in 18.0 minutes

The summer league documentary can be viewed below in its entirety.

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Christopher, Sengun, Lamb pace Rockets in summer loss to Magic

Josh Christopher, Anthony Lamb, and Alperen Sengun led the way in Sunday’s loss to Orlando. Here’s what the summer Rockets said postgame.

With rookie sensation and No. 2 overall draft pick Jalen Green sidelined again (as expected) by a minor hamstring injury, the Houston Rockets didn’t have nearly enough offense in Sunday’s 89-76 loss (box score) to Orlando at the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League. The Rockets are now 2-0 in games that Green has finished, and 0-2 when he does not.

The Rockets were led Sunday by rookie guard Josh Christopher, who scored a game-high 22 points in 29 minutes. However, he shot just 7-of-19 (36.8%) from the field, and he committed seven turnovers. Meanwhile, big man Alperen Sengun had 13 points (50.0% FG), 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 24 minutes. Sengun and Christopher were picked at No. 16 and No. 24, respectively, in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

Second-year forward Anthony Lamb scored 17 points, including five makes from 3-point range in the first half. For much of the game, that kept Houston at least within striking distance of the Magic, who were led by 15 points from second-year guard Cole Anthony. Both Orlando and Houston are now 2-2, with one final summer game to be played for both teams on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. (Tuesday’s opponent and game time for the Rockets is still to be determined.)

Overall, it was a forgettable game for the Rockets, who shot 33.3% from the field, 22.0% on 3-pointers (9-of-41), and 23 total turnovers. Houston had a new starting backcourt in Tremont Waters and Armoni Brooks, who each made their summer league debuts on Sunday, but they combined to shoot just 3-of-17 from the field (17.6%).

See below for Sunday’s postgame reaction by Christopher, Lamb, and summer league head coach Will Weaver.

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Outlook: Offseason projections for 2020-21 Houston Rockets roster

With the 2020-21 regular season in the books, we look back at the performances of Houston’s roster and rank the likeliest to return.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Houston Rockets finished an NBA regular season with the league’s worst record in 2020-21. But that doesn’t mean the year was devoid of bright spots to build around.

Young center Christian Wood earned all-star consideration prior to a severe ankle sprain, and veteran point guard John Wall showed flashes of the form that made him a five-time All-Star earlier in his career. Prospects such as Jae’Sean Tate, Kevin Porter Jr. and KJ Martin burst onto the scene, punctuated by Porter’s historic game (50 points, 11 assists) in a feel-good victory over Milwaukee in late April. Porter, Tate, Martin and Wood were identified as the team’s “young core” to build around.

Veteran big man Kelly Olynyk also made quite an impression around Toyota Center by posting some of the best numbers of his career after his acquisition by Houston at the March 25 trade deadline.

Yet, the status of the franchise’s roster entering the 2021-22 season remains very much in flux. Given Houston’s newfound rebuilding state, general manager Rafael Stone is likely to leave no stone unturned (pardon the pun) in searching for free agency or trade upgrades and potential paths to acquiring another superstar talent — similar to what they had in James Harden, prior to Harden’s forced departure in January.

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There are also complicated decisions to be made involving free agents. For example, if Olynyk wants to stay, Houston has the financial means (Bird rights) to offer whatever it takes to get a deal done. But will he accept the type of proposal that could maintain financial flexibility for Stone to pursue better players in future offseasons? After all, while Olynyk was a good player with the Rockets, he’s certainly not a star.

With those types of considerations in mind, we’re ranking the team’s final 2020-21 roster by likelihood of returning — with categories of very likely, more likely than not, questionable and doubtful. Given Houston’s rebuilding state, it would be silly to call anything 100 percent or zero.

Keep in mind that there aren’t unlimited roster spots. For example, if Houston uses all three of its current 2021 first-round draft picks on players who are immediately available to play, that could require opening three roster spots by this fall. Similarly, any signing of an external free agent in August could take away a roster spot from a 2020-21 player.

Read on to see our tiers, with links to each individual player’s personal profiles and the factors likely to be considered.

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2020-21 Rockets roster review, offseason outlook: Anthony Lamb

In Lamb’s final 11 games as a rookie, he averaged 9.4 points in 25.4 minutes while shooting 46.8% from the field and 38.3% on 3-pointers.

Rockets Player: Anthony Lamb, 6-foot-6 forward, 23 years old

Statistics in Houston: 5.5 points (39.0% FG, 32.4% on 3-pointers), 2.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game

Professional Experience: One NBA season

Contract Status: Signed to two-way deal, will be free agent

Over the final 11 games of Houston’s 2020-21 season, Lamb scored 14 or more points four times, including two games of more than 20 points. During that 11-game run, he shot 46.8% from the field and 38.3% on 3-pointers. While his overall efficiency numbers remain subpar, there was clear growth as his rookie season progressed. That could provide a reason to believe that Lamb’s earlier struggles were due to inexperience.