Tag: Frank Kaminsky

NBA veteran Frank Kaminsky lauds growth of Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr.

Frank Kaminsky: “Since I’ve been here, the person I’ve seen make the most steps is Jabari Smith. I think he’s going to be a really good player in the league for a long time.” #Rockets

Veteran big man Frank Kaminsky joined the Rockets at the February 2023 trade deadline for salary matching purposes. Ultimately, he played very little over the 2022-23 season’s final two months due to Houston’s rebuilding emphasis and a desire to evaluate young players.

Nonetheless, Kaminsky was an active participant on the bench and at practices, where he tried to help the development of many of those highly touted prospects. In a new interview with The Players’ Platform of BVM Sports, Kaminsky says there was one particular standout, at least in terms of improvement over that time.

Among Kaminsky’s comments:

Since I’ve been here, the person I’ve seen make the most steps is Jabari Smith. He’s starting to figure out where his shots come from, and body positioning.

He does need to add strength to his frame, and stuff like that, but just his size, athleticism, and shotmaking ability… you don’t see that very often. You don’t see 6-11 guys that can shoot over the top of people and have a higher release, and shoot the ball at a high clip, like he can. He’s played very well and hit some big shots, a game-winner [against the Pelicans]. He doesn’t back down from anyone, he’s not afraid.

It’s all just really positive, and I think he’s going to be a really good player in the league for a long time.

To Kaminsky’s point, here’s a look at Smith’s statistics from before and after the Feb. 9 trade deadline (when Kaminsky joined):

  • Before (52 games): 11.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 blocks, 38.9% FG, 30.0% on 3-pointers, 78.2% free throws
  • After (27 games): 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 44.0% FG, 32.2% on 3-pointers, 79.3% free throws

Smith, Houston’s No. 3 overall draft pick from the 2022 first round, won’t even turn 20 years old until May. That leaves plenty of time for him to build on that growth in 2023-24 and well beyond.

Kaminsky’s contract expires after this season, so his NBA future remains unclear. His complete interview can be viewed below.

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Wisconsin men’s basketball all-time roster: Badger Legends

A look at the best Wisconsin Badger basketball players of all-time

Over the past few decades, Wisconsin basketball has been one of the most successful programs in the nation.

The Badgers have had greats at all five positions, a legendary head coach in Bo Ryan, and a trio of Final Four appearances since 2000.

We put together Wisconsin’s all-time starting five, backup five, and coaching staff to put the Badgers’ impressive history into perspective.

There were a number of easy choices such as National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky, and ones that are sure to spark fair debate amongst Badger nation.

Here is a look at our BadgersWire all-time Wisconsin basketball roster:

Rockets, Frank Kaminsky nearing NBA’s March 1 buyout deadline

#Rockets center Frank Kaminsky has been mentioned as a potential buyout candidate, but Wednesday is the unofficial deadline for a decision.

When the Houston Rockets acquired veteran center Frank Kaminsky as part of a sequence of moves at the February trade deadline, his situation with the team was best described as “fluid.”

“Some teams have expressed interest in signing the eighth-year center should he receive a buyout from Houston, but the Rockets value him — both the coaching staff and the front office,” Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported on Feb. 14.

Now, the clock is ticking on a potential resolution, since the deadline for players to receive buyouts while retaining playoff eligibility after signing with a new team is Wednesday, March 1.

That date serves as an unofficial deadline for rebuilding teams like the Rockets to make decisions on the status of their veterans. After all, there isn’t much of a reason for a potential playoff team to sign a player that it wouldn’t be able to use in the playoffs, and there also wouldn’t seem to be much rationale to Kaminsky switching teams just to go to another non-playoff situation.

Thus, if Kaminsky isn’t released by the end of business hours on Wednesday, expect him to finish the season with the Rockets.

Over eight NBA seasons, Kaminsky has averaged 8.9 points (43.1% FG, 34.9% on 3-pointers) and 3.9 rebounds in 20.0 minutes.

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Podcast: Why Rafael Stone and Tilman Fertitta were trade deadline winners

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leaving Brooklyn and Eric Gordon traded for first-round value, the 2023 NBA trade deadline was a successful one for #Rockets management.

The 2022-23 NBA trade deadline came and went, and major changes came with it for the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets.

Veteran guard Eric Gordon is finally with a contender (the Los Angeles Clippers). Reserves Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando are out the door as well (Atlanta). For general manager Rafael Stone, both deals were made with draft capital in mind.

Sunday’s episode of “The Lager Line” (sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing) explains why Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta deserve praise for what became a successful week for the franchise in its ongoing rebuilding efforts.

The show, hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, also explores the ripple effects of Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn departure and whether it should make the Rockets more or less likely to hold those first-round draft assets from the Nets, which last through the 2027 cycle.

Sunday’s full podcast can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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2022-2023 Houston Rockets roster after the trade deadline

Here’s where the #Rockets stand with their roster, coaching staff, and basketball operations department as the 2022-23 season winds down and a critical 2023 offseason approaches.

After the February 2023 trade deadline, the Houston Rockets remain one of the NBA’s youngest teams. Yet, they have something of a veteran presence after adding Danny Green, Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky as part of their complicated web of transactions.

While none has a contract beyond the 2022-23 season, the Rockets will acquire Bird rights for each. Thus, general manager Rafael Stone will have options moving forward.

By and large, the rebuilding Rockets have prioritized youth and salary flexibility in building their current group.

That’s why it’s a combination of highly touted prospects Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. along with veterans Danny Green, Holiday and Kaminsky expiring salaries. Sengun and Smith are on their initial NBA contracts, which inherently makes them cheaper for the time being.

That formula is likely to change this offseason, when Stone and the Rockets have approximately $60 million in salary cap space to build a roster around those talented young prospects. They will need to explore contract extensions and raises for many of their young players in the coming years. For now, they’re making the best of another challenging season by staying flexible with the roster.

Here’s a look at where the Houston roster and basketball operations staff currently stands, along with jersey numbers and other relevant information for each player. All ages are as of Feb. 14, 2023.

Rockets open to keeping Justin Holiday, Danny Green, Frank Kaminsky

Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky joined the #Rockets prior to Friday’s game in Miami, and it sounds as if Danny Green is on the way. All three were acquired at Thursday’s trade deadline.

The primary incentive for Houston’s trade deadline moves sending Eric Gordon to the Clippers and Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to the Hawks was draft capital.

But, the Rockets took back veterans in those trades for salary matching purposes. While former Rockets guard John Wall will be waived — not a surprise, given his recent harsh comments about the team — the status of the other three was not immediately clear.

For rebuilding teams such as the Rockets (13-42), it’s not uncommon for veterans without clearly defined rotation roles to be released late in the season if they are on expiring contracts (which all of these players are).

On Friday, however, evidence emerged that Houston might have a plan for them. Per courtside reporter Vanessa Richardson, who works on Houston’s television broadcasts, Holiday and Kaminsky were with the Rockets at Friday’s game day shootaround in Miami and expressed excitement over joining the team.

Around the same time, general manager Rafael Stone was holding a virtual press conference in Houston to discuss the moves.

While he left the door open for the plan to change, Stone said he had spoken at considerable length Thursday with both Green and Holiday and suggested they could be valuable veteran mentors.

“We added a couple guys who have really been around the league and have wonderful reputations, and great work ethic,” Stone said of the duo, with each potentially boosting Houston’s wing defense and shooting along with those leadership qualities and intangibles.

While Green is not yet with the Rockets, owing to travel issues, he could join the team as soon as Monday’s game at Philadelphia. Coincidentally, that’s where he played last season.

Houston made it clear a Wall reunion is not in the cards. “We intend to waive John Wall,” Stone said succinctly.

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Rockets GM Rafael Stone explains Houston’s trade deadline moves

In Friday’s press conference, #Rockets GM Rafael Stone shared his perspective on Houston’s trade deadline moves (Eric Gordon) and what comes next for the 2022-23 roster and beyond.

In Friday’s press conference, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone shared his perspective on Houston’s trade deadline moves — headlined by a deal sending Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers — and insight on what comes next for the 2022-23 roster and beyond.

Will newly acquired veterans like Danny Green, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky be sticking around? Stone made it clear Friday that Houston is at least open to the idea, though additional conversations will be had with each of those players to determine the right fit.

None of the players acquired by the Rockets has a salary beyond the 2022-23 season, so Houston’s plan to create significant salary cap space in the 2023 offseason remains very much intact.

The rebuilding Rockets also bolstered their stockpile of future draft assets through Thursday’s deadline dealings, both with a 2023 first-round pick swap obtained in the Gordon trade and a pair of future second-round picks (Oklahoma City’s in 2024, 2025) acquired in the deal sending Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to Atlanta.

From a GM’s perspective, here’s insight from Stone on how and why those deals went down at the deadline, along with his plan moving forward as Houston attempts to climb back to NBA relevancy.

Report: After trade deadline moves, Rockets evaluating status of Green, Holiday, Kaminsky

Danny Green, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky were all acquired by the #Rockets on Thursday, but it isn’t yet clear who from that group (if any) will stick around.

The primary purpose of Houston’s trade deadline moves sending Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers and Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to Atlanta was to acquire future draft capital.

But to make the math work, the Rockets had to take in comparable salaries to what they sent out. Thus, at least temporarily, enter Danny Green, John Wall, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky. Yes, that John Wall, the former player who was very critical of the organization in a harsh podcast interview last month.

None have any guaranteed money owed after this season, so it won’t impact Houston’s plans to create salary cap space this summer. And Wall certainly won’t be sticking around, for obvious reasons.

The other three, however, might be. After all, the Rockets sent three players elsewhere in the deal, so they do have open roster spots for the rest of the 2022-23 season. Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes:

There are still ongoing discussions regarding Green, Holiday and Kaminsky. From the outside looking in, holding on to Green and Holiday could be beneficial between now and the end of the season. Both are experienced two-way veterans that could help Houston’s remaining young core over the next few months.

But there’s also the reality that names like Green, Holiday and to a lesser extent, Kaminsky should be attractive on the open market. Green is in the final year of his deal but is an example of a two-way wing the team would pursue this summer, meaning Houston’s brass has to evaluate whether or not it makes more sense to keep him on the roster and get an early look or allow him to latch on with a contender for the playoffs. Green’s been described as a positive locker room presence in the past, but those discussions are ongoing.

Between those three players and Wall, the Rockets technically acquired four players on Thursday while sending out only three. To do so, Houston waived sparingly used veteran Boban Marjanovic, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. However, the Rockets plan to immediately re-sign Marjanovic to a smaller deal after he clears waivers. In effect, his roster spot remains claimed.

As for the trio of newcomers, the dynamic is similar to when veteran guard Dennis Schroder finished last season with the Rockets after being part of the Daniel Theis trade (with Boston) for salary reasons.

Houston wasn’t going to force Schroder to stick around, since he was an expiring salary and not in their long-term plans. But they were open to keeping Schroder around, should he prove willing to accept a smaller role on a rebuilding team. He did.

It remains to be seen if Green, Holiday, or Kaminsky will be open to such an arrangement, or if they might want an immediate move to either a playoff contender or a team more willing to offer playing time. After all, the Rockets are likely to prioritize any extra minutes for second-year prospects Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher.

If the veterans want to leave, Houston could waive them and perhaps look to other veterans to fill those temporary roles, or perhaps use the roster spots to evaluate younger options from the G League.

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone could offer more clarity when he meets with the media on Friday morning. Stay tuned!

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Frank Kaminsky on the move during NBA trade deadline

Frank Kaminsky on the move during NBA trade deadline

One of the wildest NBA trade deadlines in history included a Wisconsin Badger being on the move.

Frank Kaminsky was dealt from the Atlanta Hawks to the Houston Rockets in a deal that landed Atlanta Garrison Matthews and Bruno Fernando.

Kaminsky has played sparingly in his only season with Atlanta, averaging 6.8 minutes per game and shooting 48% from distance on an albeit small sample size.

This is Kaminsky’s fourth NBA team, as the former Badger started his career in Charlotte before going on to Phoenix, Atlanta, and now Houston. He is one of three former Badgers currently in the NBA along with Washington Wizards rookie Johnny Davis, and Utah Jazz two-way big Micah Potter.

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Rockets trade Garrison Mathews, Bruno Fernando to Atlanta for second-round draft picks

By trading Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to Atlanta and taking on larger salary, the #Rockets acquired Oklahoma City’s second-round draft picks in 2024 and 2025.

On the same day they traded veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers for draft capital, the Houston Rockets also traded a pair of sparingly used reserves to Atlanta for draft capital.

In a trade made by the Hawks for financial reasons, the Hawks are sending veteran wing Justin Holiday and big man Frank Kaminsky to the Rockets for Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando.

Neither Holiday nor Kaminsky has a contract for the 2023-24 season, so the move does not impact Houston’s salary cap room this offseason. However, their combined 2022-23 salary is larger than Mathews and Fernando, which was the incentive for Atlanta to do the deal.

In exchange for taking on the larger salaries and helping reduce Atlanta’s luxury-tax figure, the Rockets are receiving Oklahoma City’s second-round draft picks in 2024 and 2025. Both were owned by Atlanta due to a previous trade involving the Hawks and Thunder.

Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the minutes that had previously gone to Fernando and Mathews are now likely to go to second-year prospects Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher. Neither player acquired from the Hawks appears likely to have a large role.

Here’s a look at immediate reaction to the deal.