Tag: Tyty Washington

Podcast: Rockets’ future draft outlook, FIBA Dillon Brooks takeaways

How should #Rockets fans feel about their future NBA draft assets? Today’s @TheLagerLine explains why the value is potentially underrated.

Our latest episode of “The Lager Line” features insight on Houston’s future NBA draft outlook relative to other teams, and why it could be better than a recent Bleacher Report article believes.

The updated list of first- and second-round draft assets for the Rockets through 2030 is available here, and it includes both unprotected assets arriving from Brooklyn and protected picks that could go to Oklahoma City. As part of the podcast, hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves explain why understanding those protections is critically important, including for potential trade purposes.

Other discussion topics include takeaways from Dillon Brooks’ strong performance on Canada’s 2023 FIBA World Cup team, as well as the implications of Oklahoma City waiving former Rockets prospects Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington Jr. and what it tells fans about Rockets general manager Rafael Stone.

Today’s podcast, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below in its entirety. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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OKC Thunder officially announce full details of multiplayer trade with Hawks

Full details of the multi-player trade can be found here:

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The Oklahoma City Thunder officially announced their multiplayer trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

The Thunder acquired Rudy Gay, Usman Garuba, TyTy Washington Jr. and a 2026 second-round pick from the Hawks in exchange for Patty Mills, who was officially acquired on July 7 in a five-team trade.

The three players were rerouted to the Thunder after being on two other teams since the beginning of the offseason. Gay ended last season with the Utah Jazz and picked up his $6.5 million player option. Garuba and Washington Jr. were on the Houston Rockets as 2021 and 2022 first-round picks, respectively.

The deal saves the Hawks $4.6 million in cap space. The trio is set to make a combined $11.4 million next season; meanwhile, Mills is on an expiring $6.8 million salary.

With the Thunder already facing a roster crunch, odds are none of the three players acquired will be with OKC by the start of the 2023-24 season. It’s already been reported that Garuba and Washington Jr. could have a market as young prospects on cost control deals.

The Thunder also add another second-round draft pick to their arsenal. They’ve used their $32 million in cap space this summer to essentially buy draft capital by absorbing bloated expiring deals.

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Report: Thunder acquire TyTy Washington, Usman Garuba, Rudy Gay, draft pick from Hawks

A lot of details in this trade as OKC continues to make moves.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to wheel and deal this offseason, as they completed another trade on Saturday.

The Thunder acquired TyTy Washington, Usman Garuba, Rudy Gay and a second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Patty Mills, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The trade saves the Hawks $4.5 million. Mills owns an expiring salary of $6.8 million.

This ends Mills’ short tenure with the Thunder. He was acquired from the Houston Rockets in a multi-team trade that also landed OKC three second-round picks.

Washington and Garuba were shipped out by the Hawks to shed salary. Washington is a 2022 first-round pick and Garuba is a 2021 first-round pick, so both are on their standard four-year rookie deals.

According to Wojnarowski, both Washington and Garuba have multiple teams interested in them as potential young projects. With the Thunder’s roster already stacked with young talent, perhaps they could acquire additional draft picks for both young players.

The Thunder currently own 35 draft picks over the next seven years.

Meanwhile, Gay was also moved for a second time after he was traded to the Hawks from the Utah Jazz. The 36-year-old picked up his $6.5 million player option for next season.

The Thunder essentially acquired four second-round picks and two young prospects for absorbing Mills’ $6.8 million salary and actually end up saving $0.3 million in Gay’s salary following the trade. A smart usage of cap space for a team that had money to spend.

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Rockets trade Usman Garuba, TyTy Washington to open more salary cap space

The #Rockets are reportedly trading third-year forward Usman Garuba, second-year guard TyTy Washington, and two future second-round picks to Atlanta for the draft rights to Alpha Kaba.

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The Houston Rockets are trading third-year forward Usman Garuba and second-year guard TyTy Washington to the Atlanta Hawks in a move designed to clear salary cap space, according to multiple media reports published Saturday afternoon.

Garuba ($2.6-million salary in 2023-24) and Washington ($2.3 million) were late first-round picks in the 2021 and 2022 drafts, respectively, and had played only sparingly to this point in their young NBA careers. With the Rockets transitioning to more of a win-now emphasis next season, it wasn’t clear if either prospect would receive enough playing time to develop if they stayed in Houston.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has more:

The Rockets moved to clear some of the glut of recent first-round picks on the roster, reaching agreement on a deal to trade TyTy Washington Jr. and Usman Garuba to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets will also trade their own second-round pick in 2028 and a Timberwolves second-round pick in 2025 along with $1.1 million, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The Rockets will received the draft rights to Alpha Kaba, the last pick of the 2017 draft. Kaba, who plays in Montenegro, has not played in the NBA or G League.The Athletic first reported the teams were working on a trade.

Since Kaba isn’t yet playing in the NBA, he won’t count towards Houston’s salary cap books this offseason.

The Rockets landed top guard target Fred VanVleet on Friday, but they missed out Saturday on Brook Lopez, who was believed to be Houston’s top target for a defensive oriented big man.

Thus, the clearing of more financial space beneath the 2023-24 salary cap could potentially be used as the Rockets formulate a plan to fill the slot that would otherwise have gone to Lopez.

By shedding Washington and Garuba, Houston should have near $30 million in room beneath the salary cap, as compared to about $25 million previously. The Rockets are also believed to be pursuing former Memphis wing Dillon Brooks in free agency, though Houston’s interest in Brooks is primarily due to his perimeter defense. Thus, the big-man role would still need to be filled elsewhere.

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With playing time scarce, Rockets assign rookie TyTy Washington to G League

With Kevin Porter Jr. back in the lineup and playing time more scarce, the #Rockets are assigning rookie guard TyTy Washington to the @RGVVipers, their NBA G League affiliate.

In the team’s final six games of February, rookie guard TyTy Washington averaged 25.9 minutes and made the first two starts of his NBA career as the Houston Rockets navigated Kevin Porter Jr.’s injury absence.

In the first four games of March with Porter back in the lineup, Washington played 15 combined minutes. Most of those came in the fourth quarter of games that were already decided. The Rockets used Daishen Nix or Jae’Sean Tate as the primary ballhandler during any competitive minutes without Porter.

For Washington, drafted at No. 29 in the 2022 first round out of the University of Kentucky, simply sitting on the bench during his rookie season isn’t ideal for development. Thus, the Rockets decided Wednesday to assign Washington to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, their NBA G League affiliate.

In previous G League stints with the Vipers, Washington has averaged 33.3 points (45.8% FG, 41.9% on 3-pointers), 7.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in 38.8 minutes per game.

That shooting efficiency hasn’t yet translated to the NBA level, where Washington is shooting just 35.9% from the field and 22.4% on 3-pointers. But it’s still very early in Washington’s development cycle, and this latest stint should give him more opportunities to build confidence before returning to the Rockets later this season.

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Jalen Green impresses in return, but Jamal Murray leads Nuggets past Rockets

#Rockets guard Jalen Green returned from a groin injury and played well in limited minutes, but Denver’s Jamal Murray was too much to handle in Houston’s 10th straight loss.

HOUSTON — The losing streak for the Rockets (13-48) is at 10 games after Tuesday’s 133-112 loss (box score) at Toyota Center. Led by 32 points from Jamal Murray, the victorious Denver Nuggets continue to own the Western Conference’s best record (44-19).

Murray, who was questionable to play pregame with a sore back, connected on 12-of-18 shots (66.7%) and 5-of-10 from 3-point range (50.0%). Following an historic 71-point outburst by Portland’s Damian Lillard on Sunday, it was the second straight game that Houston was torched by an opposing guard who shredded its defense.

Yet, when accounting for the superior competition, there were at least some positives for the young and rebuilding Rockets. For starters, they had Jalen Green successfully return from a groin injury, and Houston also expects to get injured backcourt mate Kevin Porter Jr. back in its lineup Wednesday versus Memphis.

While on a minutes limitation, Green was impressive with 17 points and 5 assists versus the Nuggets in 19 minutes, shooting 7-of-15 from the field (46.7%) and 3-of-7 on 3-pointers (42.9%).

Other key statistics for the Rockets included:

  • Tari Eason: 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists; 7-of-10 shooting (70.0%)
  • Daishen Nix: 14 points, 5 assists; 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
  • KJ Martin: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%)
  • TyTy Washington: 12 points, 5 assists; 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%)
  • Josh Christopher: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists; 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%), 1-of-3 on 3-pointers (33.3%)

Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interviews. Next up for the Rockets is part two of a tough back-to-back when Memphis visits Houston on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central.

Rockets rookie TyTy Washington finding his voice, building confidence

In his first career start at Golden State, the #Rockets were +2 in the 34 minutes that rookie TyTy Washington played, and -17 in the 14 minutes that he was on the bench.

As the Houston Rockets prepare to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, they expect to again be without the services of Kevin Porter Jr. (toe) and Jalen Green (groin). According to the NBA’s injury report, both guards have been ruled out for the game.

Their absence will provide another opportunity for rookie point guard TyTy Washington to showcase his skills, as he is more than likely to be named a starter by Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. It will be Washington’s second career start after he was inserted into the lineup against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

“I was excited,” Washington after making his first start. “This morning (Friday) at shootaround, when I seen my name up with the starters, I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ Everybody dreams about it (first NBA start), and I am happy to say that I accomplished that one dream.”

Washington finished the game with 15 points, four assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of action. The Rockets were plus-2 in those minutes, as compared to minus-17 in the 14 minutes that Washington was on the bench. Although he wasn’t responsible for all of the ball-handling duties, he was clearly an intricate part of getting his teammates involved and in the right spots on the floor.

“I just went out there and used my voice,” Washington said postgame. “Those two days we practiced before this game, Coach and the rest of the guys in the starting rotation were just encouraging me to use my voice. They are going to listen to me because I am the point guard. Going into the game, my biggest focus on the offensive end was just getting us out into transition, pushing the ball up the court, and just really being vocal.”

One aspect of Washington’s game that Silas wanted to see the rookie improve on is his confidence to take shots. In previous games, the coaching staff noticed that Washington was passing up open looks, which Silas did not want him to do.

“I want him to shoot the ball,” Silas said after Thursday’s practice. “I want him to be free to shoot it. I know he has not shot it as well as he wants to or expects to. He’s been pressing a little bit, and I told him not to press and shoot the basketball because he can really shoot; he’s not (really) 9-for-50. He can really shoot the basketball.”

A day later, Washington took that advice and attempted a season-high 12 shots. He hit five of those attempts, with three coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Those attempts will likely increase in Portland, as he gets more acclimated to playing with the starters.

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Rockets at Trail Blazers: Sunday’s lineups, injury reports, broadcast and stream info

#Rockets rookie TyTy Washington is increasingly playing more minutes, and he gets his biggest test yet when Houston visits Damian Lillard and Portland on Sunday night.

With the status of backcourt starters Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green still in doubt due to injuries, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets take an eight-game losing streak to Portland for Sunday night’s battle versus Damian Lillard and the host Trail Blazers.

In addition to being at home and having clearly the better team on paper, the Blazers also have the advantages of extra rest and incentive. Portland hasn’t played since Thursday in Sacramento, and perhaps their two most marquee veterans (Lillard and Jerami Grant) didn’t play in that one due to a snowstorm-induced travel delay.

The Blazers lost that game and are currently one game back of the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, so they’re expecting to make amends versus the lowly Rockets.

For the Rockets, any backcourt absences could open up more minutes for promising rookie guard TyTy Washington, who had 15 points on solid efficiency in Friday’s loss at Golden State.

Both Green and Porter practiced on Saturday, so there seemed to be at least the potential for one or both to play in Portland. Before deciding, head coach Stephen Silas said the team would wait until Sunday to see how both players respond physically to the increased workloads.

Later in the day, both guards were listed as out on Houston’s official injury report. However, that could be revised on Sunday.

Rockets’ TyTy Washington Jr. reacts to first career start in the NBA

Washington called it a dream come true to earn his first career start on the road versus the Warriors.

Houston Rockets rookie TyTy Washington Jr. on Friday called it a dream come true to earn his first career start on the road versus the Golden State Warriors.

Washington produced 15 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals in the 116-101 loss. He finished 5-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, in 33 minutes of work.

The Rockets were without their starting backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. (toe) and Jalen Green (groin) in the contest, clearing the way for Washington to start. He responded with his fourth game of the season scoring in double digits.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas was happy to see him play well.

I’m excited for him. He played a steady game. You wouldn’t have known it was his first start of his career. I’m excited to see what he can become because he can play pick and roll. He can get into the paint and shoot a floater, and make plays for his teammates. I continue to say he is a much better shooter than he has shown. I think he had made nine 3s before tonight and he made three tonight so I have a bunch of confidence in him to shoot the ball.

Silas said this week that Washington would see a larger role on Friday with the team down Porter and Green. One of those two could return on Sunday versus Portland, but Washington could continue to play big minutes if they miss additional time.

Washington first learned that he could start when the team reconvened on Wednesday after the All-Star break. The coaching staff gave him some tips on how to approach starting and Washington put that information to use in the game.

Coach and the rest of the guys in the starting group were encouraging me to use my voice. They’re going to listen to me because I’m the point guard so going into the game, that was my biggest focus on the offensive end: Getting out in transition, pushing the ball up the court and being vocal.

Washington has played sparingly this season, averaging 4.6 points, 1.5 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 24 appearances. However, he logged at least 19 minutes in each of the Rockets’ last four games and is averaging 8.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds in that span.

Though his first-ever start didn’t result in a win for the Rockets, it will likely be a game that Washington remembers for a long time as he begins his career in the NBA.

“I was excited,” Washington said. “This morning at shootaround when I saw my name up with the starters, I was like: ‘Oh. Wow!’ Everybody dreams about it so I’m just happy to say I finally accomplished that in one dream.”

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Takeaways: Klay Thompson shows peak form as Warriors blast Rockets

With 42 points on 12-of-17 shooting from 3-point range, Klay Thompson showed what he can still do as the Warriors routed Houston, 116-101. KJ Martin led the #Rockets with 22 points.

With starting guards Kevin Porter Jr. (left foot contusion) and Jalen Green (left groin strain) still sidelined, the short-handed Houston Rockets lost their eighth straight game in Friday’s 116-101 loss (box score) at Golden State. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 42 points on a blistering 12-of-17 clip (70.6%) from 3-point range.

The Rockets (13-46) continue to own the NBA’s worst record, while the defending champion Warriors (30-30) evened their 2022-23 mark as they pursue a potential berth in the 2023 playoffs.

The Warriors were short-handed, as well, with absences including Draymond Green (right knee contusion), Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons), and superstar guard Steph Curry (lower leg sprain).

Key statistics for the Rockets included:

  • KJ Martin: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks; 7-of-12 shooting (60.0%), 0-of-3 on 3-pointers, 8-of-9 free throws (88.9%)
  • Jae’Sean Tate: 14 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 assists; 6-of-12 shooting (50.0%), 1-of-3 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
  • TyTy Washington: 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals; 5-of-12 shooting (41.7%), 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists; 2-of-10 shooting (20.0%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 13 points, 9 rebounds; 4-of-16 shooting (25.0%), 1-of-6 on 3-pointers (16.7%)
  • Josh Christopher: 13 points, 1 rebound, 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%), 1-of-4 on 3-pointers (25.0%)

Scroll on for highlights, analysis, and postgame interview reaction from Chase Center. Next up for Houston is Sunday night’s game at Portland, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Central.