Tag: Houston Rockets

3 Ben Simmons destinations (the Cavaliers!) in free agency after his Nets buyout

What do you think about Ben Simmons in Cleveland or L.A.?

After a chaotic NBA trade deadline, the next domino to fall is the buyout market, which is headlined by former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the three-time All-Star is finalizing a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets. This means that he can become the most intriguing player available to potentially help a contender for the rest of this season.

The problem, however, is that Simmons is paid $40.3 million on his current deal.

NBA BUYOUT MARKET: 26 candidates teams may consider after the NBA trade deadline

While that money will get paid by the Nets, because he made more than the mid-level exception of $12.8 million, he is ineligible to sign with any team in the luxury tax apron.

Unfortunately, then, that immediately disqualifies the following teams: Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets.

The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks are also very close to the first apron and could struggle to sign him as well.

He is reportedly seeking a winning environment and stability, per Law Murray. With that in mind, based on the reporting, here are some teams that could still make sense.

Cleveland Cavaliers

After making a splashy move at the deadline to add De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a particularly intriguing option.

Cleveland has the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best record in the NBA. While they already have the best offense in the league so far this season, their defense is not quite as dominant.

But if they added Simmons (who is a former NBA steals leader and a two-time First-Team All-Defense recipient) to a group that already has a strong defensive anchor with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, they might have an even more exciting group.

L.A. Clippers

Another team that Simmons will reportedly consider is the Clippers, who are hanging around as a potential play-in team in the Western Conference.

While they have not exactly gotten a ton of availability from Kawhi Leonard this season, a defense with Simmons and Leonard is going to intimidate any opponent.

Couple that with Ivica Zubac and Kris Dunn, who are also two of the best defensive players at their position this year, and you suddenly have an elite group on that end of the floor.

Of course, it would also be fascinating to see Simmons play alongside James Harden after the two were famously traded for each other in 2022.

Houston Rockets

As originally reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Rockets are another team that is worth watching as a potential team interested in Simmons.

He is expected to meet with the organization, per Chris Haynes, which is noteworthy as Houston has been hesitant to make any changes to their very promising young core.

Houston already has a top-five defense this season even without Simmons, and they get especially good productivity from Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.

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5 destinations for De’Aaron Fox (the Spurs!) if he is traded from the Kings

Where do you think Swipa will end up?

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly expected to “open up talks” to potentially deal point guard De’Aaron Fox before the deadline.

Fox, who was an NBA All-Star and NBA Clutch Player of the Year in 2023, led the league in steals last season. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, there will be “plenty of suitors” for his services if he does become available on the trade market.

Charania added that Fox has a “target destination” before hitting free agency in 2026 if he does not reach an extension with the Kings. Chris Haynes added Fox is “zeroed in” on that spot — and it does not include the Lakers.

So no matter where he ends up, any team that trades him runs the risk of potentially losing him to that mystery team. Otherwise, however, here are some of the potential suitors:

San Antonio Spurs

If there is one team that Fox likely has his eye on at this point, it is probably the Spurs. Any player, especially a point guard like Fox, would want to play alongside a young superstar like Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio will be able to contend for the foreseeable future and Fox would help that window come into fruition even sooner as a long-term replacement for Chris Paul.

Houston Rockets

Another team that is exceeding expectations is the Houston Rockets, which could make some sense as a hometown fit for Fox as well. This franchise has several assets that may intrigue Sacramento’s front office if they wanted to consolidate some of their smaller pieces into one bigger one. However, per Marc Stein, they may just prefer to see how far their current core can go.

Orlando Magic

One potential wildcard team that may have some exploratory interest and could make it work financially is the Orlando Magic. They have a fantastic defensive infrastructure as well as multiple legitimately helpful pieces that could make them contend in the Eastern Conference for several years to come. But a floor general like him could help turn them from good to great.

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are in the news for a lot reasons that have nothing to do with Fox and everything to do with Jimmy Butler right now. But if they are active on the trade market, perhaps they emerge as a potential suitor in such a deal. A trade would reunite Fox with his college teammate Bam Adebayo, who are close friends and began their friendship at 12 years old.

Brooklyn Nets

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams who will have at least some registered interest in trading for Fox. They have more than enough draft capital and young assets that could make it interesting for the Kings to at least have a conversation, but the Nets would need to feel at least some confidence that they could have a chance to re-sign him to a long-term deal if they give up real assets to acquire him.

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Ron Holland literally shot the lights out in hilarious Pistons-Rockets moment

The fifth overall pick was literally shooting the lights out in Detroits win on the road against Houston.

Generally, when someone says that a player is “shooting the lights out,” they’re speaking metaphorically. In the case of Detroit Pistons rookie forward Ron Holland on Monday afternoon, however, they meant it literally.

Immediately after Holland sunk a three-point shot in the first quarter to give the Pistons a 36-25 lead, the lights at Toyota Center went out and left the attendees in the dark.

“Holland, who’s not a great three-point shooter, 23%, literally shot the lights out,” Space City Home Network play-by-play announcer Craig Ackerman said. “That’s interesting.”

That was ultimately the only three points Holland scored in the 107-96 Pistons win as he finished 1 of 3 in 16 minutes logged.

The fifth overall pick from NBA G League Unite, Holland has just one start on the year and is averaging 6.5 points per game. He has made just 20 of his 80 attempts from beyond the arc.

But against the Rockets on the road, he truly was shooting the lights out.

An interested buyer has emerged if, or when, Gayle Benson sells the Saints

An interested buyer has emerged if, or when, Gayle Benson sells the New Orleans Saints. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta wants to expand his portfolio:

This is certainly worth filing away for later. An interested buyer has emerged if, or when, Gayle Benson sells the New Orleans Saints. The NBA’s Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta wants to expand his portfolio.

“I’ve always loved the New Orleans Saints, but (Benson) won’t sell them right now,” Fertitta told the Houston Business Journal’s Chandler France. He clarified that there hadn’t been an exchange of formal offers or anything official, but he’s made his interest known.

And, he added, the Saints are not currently for sale. Benson’s will instructs team president Dennis Lauscha to take on the role as executor of the estate and overesee the sale of the team. If he’s unable to do so, it would fall on general manager Mickey Loomis and longtime executive Greg Bensel to see it through. She also stipulates that the team’s next owner must keep the team in New Orleans.

Benson, 77, has no heirs and has shown every indication that she intends to run the team for the rest of her life, which is why this succession plan has been made public. But it’s always possible she could change her mind and agree to sell it sooner. If that’s the case, we could see the Saints go for as much as $6 billion — that was the winning bid for the Washington Commanders, a contest in which Fertitta’s reported $4.4 billion offer fell short.

It wouldn’t be ideal for an out-of-state owner to be running the Saints, but so long as the team remains in New Orleans, we’ll take it. At least Fertitta has experience owning a pro sports team before with the Rockets. Just don’t expect him to be the only suitor when the Saints do eventually go up for sale. The NFL is a lucrative business and with team values continuing to skyrocket, some big names could be in the mix when that day comes.

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3 possible Jimmy Butler destinations if the Heat trade him

These contenders could try to trade for Jimmy Butler.

The Miami Heat have an interesting decision to make about six-time NBA All-Star wing Jimmy Butler, who could generate some trade interest.

Butler, 35, could become a free agent this offseason if he opts out of his deal and it is unclear whether or not he projects as part of the future of the franchise for Miami.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram are two of the top names to watch before the NBA trade deadline.

Charania reported that Miami is “open to listening to offers” for Butler and potentially “making a deal” for the right offer. He added that it has become clear that Butler has expressed interest in three specific teams.

As of right now, it seems Butler will opt out of his deal and become a free agent at the end of the season. But if he is traded, here are some teams that Butler reportedly wants to play for this season.

Houston Rockets

Butler, who is originally from nearby Houston, could make sense as a consolidation piece on the Rockets. Back in October, the Rockets were mentioned by Marc Stein as a potential destination for Butler as well. It is unclear how many players in Houston’s young core they would be willing to part with, if any, for such a trade.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks have reportedly held interest in Butler since before he was even traded to the Heat in 2019. Earlier this month, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto added that “within league circles, there’s been quiet discourse” about whether the Rockets or Mavericks could emerge as suitors for Butler. But there are financial hurdles that could complicate this fit.

Golden State Warriors

Earlier this season, per Scotto, the Warriors “were among the teams linked” to Butler in a potential trade. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater speculated that the Warriors would “enter the conversation” about Butler in May and Sam Amick reported interest in Butler by Golden State in September.

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NBA Cup clinching scenarios for Tuesday’s games: Who is in and out before the knockout rounds?

Who will join the Hawks, Rockets, and Warriors?

As we prepare for the final day of group play in the NBA Cup, only three teams have punched a ticket to the next round and five spots remain.

We know the Hawks (shockingly!), Rockets, and Warriors will all advance to the knockout phase of the tournament. But three of the other groups yet to have a winner while both the West and East wild card spots are still open as well.

Each group winner moves on to the next round, and one wild card from each conference advances as well.

With some very important games left on the last day of group play in the second year of this experiment by the league, here is how it all looks to play out:

East: Group A

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Orlando Magic 3 0 60 Alive
New York Knicks 3 0 15 Alive
Philadelphia 76ers 1 2 -9 Out
Brooklyn Nets 1 3 -39 Out
Charlotte Hornets 0 3 -27 Out

Orlando and New York play each other at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The winner will advance out of Group A. Orlando would likely advance through the wild card with a loss, though New York would hav a much tougher chance due to their point differential.

IMPORTANT GAME: Magic @ Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)

East: Group B

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Milwaukee Bucks 3 0 29 Alive
Detroit Pistons 3 0 28 Alive
Miami Heat 2 2 20 Out
Toronto Raptors 0 3 -28 Out
Indiana Pacers 0 3 -49 Out

Milwaukee and Detroit play each other on Tuesday night, and the winner will officially take Group B. Both are still alive as potential wild cards with a loss, too, but need a better overall point differential than the Celtics and the loser of New York and Orlando.

IMPORTANT GAME: Bucks @ Pistons (7:00 p.m. ET)

East: Group C

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Atlanta Hawks 3 1 15 Clinched Group
Boston Celtics 3 1 23 Alive
Chicago Bulls 2 2 6 Out
Cleveland Cavaliers 1 2 -1 Out
Washington Wizards 0 3 -43 Out

Atlanta has already won this group and with the exception of the Celtics, every other team is eliminated. Boston could come out in the wild card spot, but it will depend on point differential.

IMPORTANT GAME: N/A

East: Wild Card

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Orlando Magic 3 0 60 Alive
Milwaukee Bucks 3 0 29 Alive
Detroit Pistons 3 0 28 Alive
New York Knicks 3 0 15 Alive
Boston Celtics 3 1 23 Alive

Orlando or New York will advance out of group play, and so will either Detroit and Milwaukee. Between the losers of those games, and the Celtics, the team with the best point differential of that bunch will earn the wild card.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Bucks @ Pistons (7:00 p.m. ET), Magic @ Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)

West: Group A

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Houston Rockets 3 0 49 Clinched Group
Portland Trail Blazers 2 1 -5 Alive
Minnesota Timberwolves 2 2 -13 Out
L.A. Clippers 1 2 -6 Alive
Sacramento Kings 0 3 -25 Out

Houston has already won this group, but Portland and L.A. are both potentially able to advance via the wild card based on how their game goes at the Intuit Dome on Tuesday.

IMPORTANT GAME: Trail Blazers @ Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

West: Group B

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
San Antonio Spurs 2 1 14 Alive
Oklahoma City Thunder 2 1 18 Alive
Phoenix Suns 2 1 19 Alive
Los Angeles Lakers 2 2 -24 Out
Utah Jazz 0 3 -27 Out

This is arguably the most fun group left because three teams all have a chance to win the group and the two that do not can still advance via wild card seeding.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Jazz @ Thunder (8:00 p.m. ET), Spurs @ Suns (9:00 p.m. ET)

West: Group C

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Golden State Warriors 3 0 12 Clinched Group
Dallas Mavericks 2 1 41 Alive
Denver Nuggets 1 2 2 Alive
Memphis Grizzlies 1 2 -6 Alive
New Orleans Pelicans 1 3 -49 Out

Golden State has already won this group, but three other teams still have a real chance to advance based on the remaining games. The other games give the remaining teams a chance in the wild card, though.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Grizzlies @ Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET), Warriors @ Nuggets (10:00 p.m. ET on TNT)

West: Wild Card

TEAM WINS LOSSES DIFFERENTIAL IN/OUT
Dallas Mavericks 2 1 41 Alive
Phoenix Suns 2 1 19 Alive
Oklahoma City Thunder 2 1 18 Alive
San Antonio Spurs 2 1 14 Alive
Portland Trail Blazers 2 1 -5 Alive
Denver Nuggets 1 2 2 Alive
Memphis Grizzlies 1 2 -6 Alive
L.A. Clippers 1 2 -6 Alive

One of the teams from Group B (San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix) will not need a wild card berth but instead advance from winning their group. Otherwise, while Dallas has the best chance of any team to win the wild card, there are plenty of other teams statistically still able to clinch a spot into the knockout rounds.

IMPORTANT GAME(S): Jazz @ Thunder (8:00 p.m. ET), Grizzlies @ Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET), Spurs @ Suns (9:00 p.m. ET), Warriors @ Nuggets (10:00 p.m. ET on TNT), Trail Blazers @ Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET)

How large is Yao Ming’s wine glass, anyways?

Everybody’s asking this!

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, which is as good as any time to try to find the answer to some extremely dumb questions, such as: How large is Yao Ming’s wine glass?

Does this matter at all to anyone? Of course not. But while mindlessly scrolling on Wednesday night, I came across an advertisement for the Houston Rockets’ legend’s signature blends featuring the seven-footer enjoying a cabernet sauvignon. Nothing looked off about the photo, which is exactly what caught my attention.

As previously noted, Yao is over seven feet tall. He makes other NBA players look small. His hands have a habit of making normal-sized objects appear miniature. How big was this wine glass if it looked proportional to the man holding it? And how much wine can it hold?

With a hat tip to SB Nation’s James Dator for the inspiration, we knew we just needed to find something we could compare for scale in the photo to figure out the size of the wine glass.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a ton to go on. We first thought to measure the size of his index finger and use that to get the length of the glass, which would’ve been seemingly easy to do since there are a ton of photos with his hand next to a measuring tape but it proved an imperfect science as his finger was bent at bit in the advertisement.

Fortunately, there were more photos from this same shoot that were much more helpful.

via Yao Family Wines

OK, now we’re cooking here. We’ve got the big glass and an even bigger bottle next to it. At first it seemed like the bottle was a Nebuchadnezzar (which holds 15 liters), but after discussing it with For The Win’s resident alcohol guru Christian D’Andrea — as well as comparing with other photos and videos of Nebuchadnezzars — we concluded it was most likely a Balthazar, which holds 12 liters.

I also brought in a little extra backup in the form of the two graphic designers who sit across from me at the co-working space I use. Both were extremely helpful as they noticed some of the photos may have been edited to make the glass look a bit slimmer.

One of them also said, in a direct quote, “I can’t believe I’ve fallen into such a stupid rabbit hole.” Which, yes, welcome to living terminally online.

Onward.

From this point we had to start ballparking a tiny bit. A Balthazar is typically 28 inches tall. If we assume that’s the size of the bottle in this photo, we simply needed to count the pixels and do some of that proportional math our middle school selves truly never thought we’d need in the real world.

Which brings us here:

The graphic designer software used gave us a much more accurate pixel number, but it was easier to show in this format

That works out to a wine glass approximately 12.7 inches tall.

Trying to find a glass for sale between 12 and 13 inches that looks like Yao’s didn’t turn up much in admittedly morning’s long search, but it’s also fair to assume someone with their own wine label with the wealth and stature of Yao Ming would have a custom set for himself. All that said, BigWineGlasses.com sells an 11-inch tall Imperial glass that can hold 34 ounces.

If you need a reference for what a wine glass this large would look like in a normal-sized person’s hands, just search for bachelorette parties in Napa on Instagram and you can find every angle imaginable.

Crucially, this brings us to the end of our epic investigation, because 34 ounces is more than what’s in a standard bottle of wine.

So to answer the questions above: Yao’s glass is at least 11 inches tall, but more likely closer to 13 and it can hold at least an entire bottle.

We have reached out to Yao Family Wines and can hopefully confirm our findings with them soon.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Oct. 22-27

Basketball season is underway.

(This story was updated to change a photo.)

The 2024-25 NBA season has gotten underway, which means it’s time to watch Notre Dame’s two representatives. Neither player has exactly had a glowing start though.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] began his 10th NBA season by scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Oct. 23 season opening-win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He followed that up by shooting a combined 2 of 10 from the field in losses to the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. He’s averaging 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds a game in this young season.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] now is in his third season with the San Antonio Spurs. He tipped off his campaign with six points and two assists while losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Oct. 24 season opener. He had a single field goal and two more assists in six minutes during an Oct. 26 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Wesley is averaging a mere 4.0 points and 0.5 rebounds a game over two contests, but he has the Spurs’ second-highest plus/minus through two games. Granted, that came entirely during the Mavericks game, but still:

Here’s to decent seasons from both Connaughton and Wesley.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

2024-25 Houston Rockets: A quick preview

The Houston Rockets have made significant strides in rebuilding their roster, boasting a solid young core, but in the stacked Western Conference, they could face stiff competition for a play-in spot. Over the past few years, the Rockets have added …

The Houston Rockets have made significant strides in rebuilding their roster, boasting a solid young core, but in the stacked Western Conference, they could face stiff competition for a play-in spot.

Over the past few years, the Rockets have added talented players like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, both of whom are eligible for extensions as they enter the final year of their rookie contracts. Whether these two become long-term cornerstones for head coach Ime Udoka remains to be seen. If they don’t fit into the Rockets’ long-term plans, they could be potential trade assets, especially since the team has stockpiled draft capital to make a big move when the time is right.

The long-term goal is clear: evolve into a playoff team, if not this season, then by next year, with an eye toward competing for titles later on.

However, the immediate focus will be on improving their offense, which lagged behind their defense last season. With continued development, the Rockets could be in the play-in conversation this year, but given the depth of competition in the Western Conference, they’ll need to take big steps forward to secure their spot.

Dikembe Mutombo highlights: Remembering the greatest moments of his amazing career

Dikembe Mutombo was such a larger than life presence that it is hard to believe that he is gone.

Dikembe Mutombo was such a larger than life presence that it is hard to believe that he is gone.

The beloved big man, who died at 58, was one of the most memorable players in league history. His iconic finger was celebration made him an unforgettable presence in the basketball world.

He was an incredibly accomplished player who made eight All-Star appearances and won NBA Defensive Player of the Year four time in his career.

While there are so many highlights during his time on the court, here are a few of the all-time best moments he had in an NBA uniform:

Dikembe blocks MJ

Three consecutive blocks vs. Bucks

Four consecutive blocks vs. 76ers

Dikembe records 12 blocks in 1 game

Upsetting the Supersonics as a No. 1 seed