Houston Rockets

Willie Cauley-Stein is going to get an opportunity to play for the Houston Rockets next season.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the veteran center has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockets and will compete for a roster spot during training camp.

Cauley-Stein split last season between the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers. He was waived by the Mavs in January after they signed Marquese Chriss.

The Sixers signed Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract on Feb. 24. The 28-year-old appeared in two games before being waived on March 3.

In 20 games between the two teams, Cauley-Stein averaged 1.7 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Prior to entering the NBA, Cauley-Stein had a successful three-year stint at the University of Kentucky. He was named to the All-SEC team and won SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior during the 2014-15 season.

The Wildcats reached the Final Four in each of Cauley-Stein's final two seasons with the program. They lost to Connecticut in the 2014 national title game and Wisconsin in the 2015 Final Four.

The Sacramento Kings made Cauley-Stein the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft. He spent four seasons with the club before signing with the Golden State Warriors in July 2019.

The Mavs acquired Cauley-Stein from Golden State in January 2020 for a second-round pick.

The Rockets are still rebuilding, with Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. as the centerpieces. Cauley-Stein will compete with Usman Garuba and Boban Marjanovic to be the primary backup 5 behind Alperen Sengun.

The Houston Rockets are reportedly in no hurry to trade veteran guard Eric Gordon despite significant interest on the trade market.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Rockets view Gordon as an asset on the court and a leader, and thus, they have "no urgency" to move him.

Scotto added that Gordon's $19.5 million salary could be valuable in facilitating a big trade at the deadline next season, which may be the ideal time to trade him since contenders would undoubtedly love to add a player of his ilk.

The 33-year-old Gordon has spent the past six seasons in Houston after beginning his career with the Los Angeles Clippers and also enjoying a stint with the New Orleans Pelicans.

While Gordon's counting statistics were down last season, he had one of the most efficient seasons of his career from a shooting perspective.

Gordon averaged 13.4 points per game in 57 contests, which was down from the 17.8 points he averaged in 27 games the previous season, plus he put up 2.7 assists, 2.2 made three-pointers and 2.0 rebounds.

He also shot 47.5 percent from the floor, marking the best field-goal percentage of his career. Meanwhile, his 41.2 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc was the second-best of his career behind only the 44.8 percent he shot in 2014-15.

Gordon showed last season that he is capable of producing both as a starter and a bench player, which is no surprise given that he was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2016-17, his first season with the Rockets.

In 2022-23, Gordon figures to be one of the few true veterans on a young team that is in the thick of a rebuild.

D.J. Augustin, Daniel Theis, Dennis Schroder and Danuel House are some of the other vets who were on the team last season, but all of them are gone. The Rockets also parted ways with veteran point guard John Wall, who didn't appear in any games last season.

Gordon's experience makes him a hugely valuable player in terms of helping develop younger players like Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., so it is understandable why the Rockets are seemingly content to enter the season with him on the roster.

The Houston Rockets are reportedly prioritizing saving salary-cap space for next offseason in their contract talks with guard Kevin Porter Jr.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Rockets are seeking a team-friendly deal with Porter since they want to be players on the free-agent market in 2023.

Scotto noted that Porter's qualifying offer would likely be around $8.5 million, and the Rockets reportedly don't want to go much over that for a yearly salary if they sign him to an extension.

The 22-year-old Porter has spent the past two seasons with the Rockets after beginning his NBA career as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019.

Production has never been a problem for KPJ, as he put up averages of 16.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers made in 26 games for the Rockets in 2020-21.

Porter's scoring and assist numbers were down slightly last season, but he appeared in 61 contests and averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from long range.

The biggest questions with Porter relate to his behavior off the court.

Porter's time in Cleveland ended abruptly, and ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported he had an outburst in the locker room as a result of the Cavs acquiring veteran Taurean Prince and giving him Porter's locker.

Then, last season, Porter was suspended one game by the Rockets, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he got into a confrontation with assistant coach John Lucas during a game and left the arena at halftime.

Aside from wanting to save cap space, Porter's attitude issues could be part of the reason why the Rockets are unwilling to spend huge money on an extension despite his potential.

If the Rockets decide against re-signing Porter and allow him to leave in restricted free agency next offseason, it would make Jalen Green an even more important part of the backcourt and place added emphasis on bringing in another promising guard via the draft or free agency.

Former NBA shooting guard Vernon Maxwell said that he planned to chase down Basketball Hall of Fame center and ex-Houston Rockets teammate Hakeem Olajuwon and "stab the s--t out of him" if police didn't break up a fight between the two during halftime of a road game against the Seattle SuperSonics.

Maxwell made the remarks on the No Chill With Gilbert Arenas podcast (h/t TMZ Sports). The confrontation reportedly occurred after a tough first half in which the Rockets performed poorly and Maxwell didn't do much offensively.

Maxwell expressed displeasure to his teammates that he wasn't getting the ball enough, and he also said that he was spitting on the floor during the walk back to the locker room.

Olajuwon allegedly caught wind of the remarks, noted Maxwell's behavior and didn't take kindly to any of it, to the point where the big man eventually slapped Maxwell in the face in the locker room.

Maxwell then said he threw a chair at Olajuwon and broke a lot of glass that shattered all over the locker room. He then picked up a big piece of the glass and said he intended to stab Olajuwon before police intervened.

"I said, 'God damn, this motherf--ker slapped the s--t out of me,'" Maxwell recalled. "That motherfu--er hit me so hard, man, [he] knocked me out the chair.

"I jumped up, grabbed my chair, and throwed it at [that] motherf--ker, bust the glass in the locker room. Everybody running out. Police come in with the guns drawn, like 'what the hell goin' on in here?'"

"Damn, they got the guns on me at a professional halftime. At a professional game," he said.

The fight ended, and Maxwell said he and Olajuwon eventually constructed a far more cordial relationship as time went on. Maxwell said that Olajuwon's conversion to Islam led to him becoming a better teammate.

"After that, [Hakeem] became Muslim. He was so quiet. So humble. So, [he] wanted me to become Muslim. I couldn't do it. But, he was a great teammate after that."

Maxwell has told the story in the past, most notably on The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast (h/t Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle) in Jan. 2021.

One year later, the ex-Florida star addressed it on Twitter:

I don’t remember trying to stab anyone but if I did it was out of love. https://t.co/IvGN5LqyQS

— Vernon Maxwell (@VernonMaxwell11) January 2, 2022

Olajuwon and Maxwell played together on the Rockets from 1990-95. They won back-to-back NBA titles for the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon and Maxwell were notably first and second on the team in scoring during the 1994 NBA Finals, when they led the Rockets to a seven-game series win over the New York Knicks.

The Houston Rockets and guard Kevin Porter Jr. reportedly have "mutual interest" in agreeing to a contract extension before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the two sides could strike a deal before the Oct. 17 deadline for rookie extensions. Porter is heading into the final year of his rookie contract after being taken with the No. 30 overall pick in 2019.

Negotiations for a contract extension will be interesting, in large part because Porter is a decidedly non-max player. Rookie max extensions tend to be generally straightforward. There's only a certain amount the team can offer, and negotiations often come down to whether a player gets an option in the final year of the deal.

Non-max players are trickier because, in nearly all cases, the player sees his value as much higher than the team. Porter is coming off a season where he averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. He's a solid 22-year-old player with upside, but he's also shown significant decision-making flaws—both on and off the floor.

On the floor, Porter tends to be a combination of trigger-happy with his shot and turnover-prone. His advanced stats are almost unilaterally concerning, particularly on the defensive end, where he's been a sieve. When Porter is at his best, his potential to develop into a quality NBA point guard is obvious; his on-court maturity has just been lacking to this point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded Porter after a locker room outburst saw him throw food in the locker room. That incident was predated by Porter being arrested on gun charges after he was involved in a November 2020 car crash. Those charges were later dropped.

The Rockets suspended Porter and Christian Wood last season for their actions in a January loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Porter reportedly left the arena at halftime after a heated confrontation with assistant coach John Lucas.

Houston traded Wood to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason but seemingly remains committed to Porter. That said, Porter's history of questionable behavior behind the scenes likely limits what he can demand in contract talks.

Mo Bamba will generate interest from multiple teams when the free-agent negotiating period begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

Per The Athletic's Kelly Iko, the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets are already showing interest in the 24-year-old center.

Iko noted the Orlando Magic have interest in re-signing Bamba.

It's unclear where things stand between Bamba and the Magic.

Iko noted the writing might be on the wall after Orlando posted images on social media unveiling No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero's jersey number as 5, which has been worn by Bamba.

you love to see it

📸: paolo5/IG pic.twitter.com/hVSknFND4V

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 25, 2022

There's other, more tangible evidence Iko pointed out to suggest Bamba might be on the move, including the volume of frontcourt players the Magic have.

Of course, B/R's Jake Fischer noted there's also "motivation on both sides" between the Magic and Bamba to stay together.

The Bulls haven't been shy about their desire to find a strong defensive presence at center. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported June 6 they have interest in a Rudy Gobert trade, as well as New York Knicks free agent Mitchell Robinson.

Per Fischer, any potential deal the Bulls put together for Gobert would likely need to include Patrick Williams, and it's unclear if the team is willing to move the 20-year-old.

The Rockets are hoping they've found the nucleus of their next great core with No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith set to join second-year guard Jalen Green. Bamba would fit in with their timeline because he's only 24 years old and has shown flashes of tremendous potential.

Orlando has struggled to find ways to maximize Bamba's skill set. He did take a step forward in 2021-22, his first season playing primarily in the starting lineup. The University of Texas alum averaged 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds and shot 38.1 percent from three-point range in 71 games.

The 2022 NBA draft is over, and attention now turns to free agency and the trade market en route to another potentially explosive offseason.

Two big names who could be on the move include Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook and Houston Rockets point guard John Wall.

Both players have $47 million player options.

Wall will reportedly pick his up, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. He has played just 40 games since Jan. 1, 2019, because of a combination of injuries and an agreement with the Rockets to sit this season out as the team built around its younger core of talent. The Rockets clearly have moved on from Wall, even if he's still under contract with them.

Westbrook would presumably do so as well after coming off a down year with the Lakers in which he posted the worst player efficiency rating (15.0) of his 14-year career. L.A. struggled last season with a 33-49 record and missing out on the playoffs. The Lakers could look to move Westbrook after a disastrous season, and a fresh start could be best for both sides.

The question now is whether the Lakers and Rockets find trade partners to engineer moves for their respective stars. Three places stand out as potential landing spots for both.

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Miami Heat

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on the Rich Eisen Show that he believes the Miami Heat will "hunt stars" this offseason.

"I think they will be hunters," he said. "I do not think they will be satisfied with running it back. We'll see what opportunities may open themselves in the next couple of months."

Westbrook and Wall's best days may be behind them, but they are still stars in this league at their best.

As far as Miami goes, its lack of scoring depth came to light in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Jimmy Butler averaged 25.6 points per game. Bam Adebayo was second with 15.0 points per game, and no one else had 10 or more.

Granted, Tyler Herro missed most of the series with a groin injury, but the Heat could use another player who can complement Butler's offensive output.

Westbrook or Wall could help in that regard.

Granted, last season was a rough offensive showing for the 33-year-old Westbrook, but he's also one year removed from averaging a triple-double with 22.2 points per game for the 2020-21 Washington Wizards.

Wall, 31, also fared well during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with 20.6 points per game.

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New York Knicks

There's been a revolving door at the Knicks' point guard position since Walt "Clyde" Frazier was calling plays in the 1960s and 1970s. It's a never-ending problem in the Big Apple, and it became one this year, too.

The Knicks acquired Kemba Walker but soon benched him, and Derrick Rose missed most of the season with injuries. By the end of the year, Alec Burks was playing out of position and handling the point, with Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench in relief.

New York also struggled offensively, with Julius Randle regressing from his All-Star form in 2020-21. The Knicks need some more help on that end and could use another playmaker (and some stability) at the point to get things going.

On the other end, the Knicks could obtain some future cap flexibility by picking up either Westbrook or Wall, both of whom have just one year left on their deals.

The key here, though, is that the Knicks are heavily rumored to be targeting Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson in unrestricted free agency.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team is "working to clear salary-cap space for him," and that would coincide with the Knicks' moves on Thursday to move Kemba Walker off the books as well as trade their No. 11 overall pick.

HoopsHype contributor Yossi Gozlan provided details:

Knicks now projected to generate $18M in cap space after getting off Kemba Walker and the 11th overall pick. $16M is more realistic when keeping Mitchell Robinson's cap hold in mind so they can re-sign him after.

They're much closer to having enough cap space for Jalen Brunson. https://t.co/reLZGU28NM

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 24, 2022

However, the potential Brunson move could fall through, leading to the Knicks searching for other answers.

Perhaps Westbrook or Wall could be the short-term solution as the team looks to return to the playoffs after missing out last year.

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Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are going in the wrong direction after earning the Western Conference's No. 1 seed in the 2020-21 playoffs. That campaign ended with a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round.

Expectations were high yet again in 2021-22, and the team started 27-10. However, they finished 22-23 and lost in six games in the first round of the playoffs to a Dallas Mavericks side that was missing superstar Luka Doncic in Games 1 and 2.

Utah is officially entering a new era with a to-be-determined coach taking over for Quin Snyder, who stepped down after eight seasons. Running it back with the same roster probably isn't going to cut it, even if the Jazz have an All-Star duo to build around in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Mike Conley Jr. has been a steady and solid contributor at the point for Utah amid an excellent 15-year NBA career, but Wall or Westbrook would provide a more explosive dynamic to the team as it searches for its first NBA Finals appearance since 1998.

LSU forward Tari Eason is off to the NBA after the Houston Rockets selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the draft.

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Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Tari Eason

Position: PF

Height: 6'7"

Pro Comparison: Brandon Clarke

Scouting Report: Eason broke out on to NBA radars as a 6'7" forward who can attack off the dribble and bring defensive toughness/versatility. Developing into a regular spot-up shooter from three could turn the combo forward into a valuable, two-way role player.

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Rockets Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Jabari Smith Jr., PF (rookie-scale contract)

Tari Eason, PF (rookie-scale contract)

John Wall, PG: $42.8M (2023)

Eric Gordon, SG: $18.9M (2024)

Jalen Green, SG: $10.2M (2025)

David Nwaba, SG: $5M (2025)

Alperen Sengun, C: $3.9M (2025)

Boban Marjanovic, C: $3.5M (2023)

Trey Burke, G: $3.2M (2023)

Sterling Brown, SG: $3M (2023)

Usman Garuba, PF: $3M (2025)

Josh Christopher, SG: $2.9M (2025)

Garrison Mathews, SG: $2.1M (2025)

Kevin Porter Jr., SG: $2M (2023)

Marquese Chriss, SF: $1.6M (2023)

Daishen Nix, PG: $1.5M (2025)

Jae'Sean Tate, SF: $1.5M (2023, Team Option)

Kenyon Martin Jr., SF: $1.4M (2024)

Free Agents

Dennis Schroder, PG: UFA

Bruno Fernando, PF: RFA

Anthony Lamb, SF: RFA

Trevelin Queen, SG: RFA

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Eason spent his freshman season with Cincinnati, averaging 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 23 games (eight starts).

His decision to transfer to LSU worked wonders, however, as he posted 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 24.4 minutes across 33 games (four starts). He shot 52.1 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three, giving him appealing three-and-D upside at the NBA level.

"The best quality he's got, is usually when kids have success, they relax," former LSU head coach Will Wade told reporters in March. "The more success he has, the harder he works, which is usually the exact opposite."

Houston is banking on him having quite a bit of success in the future.

Houston Rockets point guard John Wall has exercised his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 NBA season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

There's an expectation that the two sides will work on a resolution to Wall's tenure with the team, per Charania. That likely indicates his time in Houston is still coming to an end despite his contract status.

Wall arrived at the Rockets from the Washington Wizards in a December 2020 trade. He's made just 40 appearances for Houston since that deal, including none during the 2021-22 season.

He averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 40 games in 2020-21.

In mid-September, he reached an agreement with the front office to remain sidelined throughout the 2021-22 campaign until a trade could be found as the Rockets focused on a youth movement, per Charania.

Wall ended up sitting out all of 2021-22 while the Rockets finished 20-62.

Washington selected Wall with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. He proceeded to earn five consecutive All-Star Game selections starting in 2014 and helped guide the Wizards to the postseason four times.

The Wizards never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs during the University of Kentucky product's tenure with the franchise, however.

In November 2018, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the 31-year-old North Carolina native was fined after yelling "f--k you" at head coach Scott Brooks during a practice session. He later apologized to both Brooks and his teammates.

Although fractures had clearly started to develop within the team's foundation, it was still a bit surprising when he was dealt to Houston as part of a major trade that saw Russell Westbrook go the other way.

There were no issues during his tenure in Houston.

"He's been a rock for us," a Rockets source told ESPN's Tim MacMahon in September 2021. "He's been great since he got here."

The dynamic guard averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 573 regular-season appearances for the Wizards across nine-plus seasons.

Wall's departure from D.C. also brought an end to his effort to spend his entire career with one team, a desire he reiterated when the trade rumors first surfaced, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

"I love being here," he said in 2018.

Wall didn't have much of a choice from a financial perspective beyond exercising the option. It was worth nearly $50 million, a number he wouldn't have come close to approaching in free agency given his extended layoff.

Now the question is whether the Rockets can find a long-awaited solution to his situation, likely via contract buyout. A trade figures to remain out of reach because of the sky-high cap hit, so he'll need to sacrifice some money to hit free agency and pick a new team.

Staying in Houston is a long shot since it's not in the best interest of either side and he probably doesn't want to sit out another whole season before hitting the open market.

The Houston Rockets may not be done dealing veteran players as they continue to move forward with their rebuilding effort.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein in his Substack newsletter, the Rockets are trying to find a trade for Eric Gordon and they want a first-round pick in return.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Houston agreed to send Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks for a package that included the No. 26 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

The Rockets are also receiving the expiring contracts of Boban Marjanovic, Marquese Chriss, Trey Burke and Sterling Brown in the deal.

Gordon was frequently mentioned as a trade candidate prior to the Feb. 10 trade deadline. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle noted in January that Houston was going to be cautious with its moves because its "priority would be getting picks with as little protection as possible, rather than with more immediate returns."

One reason the Rockets could afford to be more particular is that they already have two first-round picks (Nos. 3 and 17 overall) this year.

It's unclear if the Rockets are pursuing another pick this year or in future years to deal Gordon. They already have multiple first-round picks in six of the next seven drafts through 2028.

Gordon's contract could make him an attractive trade candidate for teams seeking to boost their offense. The 33-year-old is owed $19.6 million in 2022-23 and a $20.9 million non-guaranteed salary in 2023-24.

As the Rockets were in the midst of a 20-62 record this season, Gordon remained a productive player when he was able to play. He averaged 13.4 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting (41.2 percent from behind the arc).

Gordon has the ability to play in a starting lineup or provide a spark off the bench. His history as a scorer and team-friendly contract could make him a highly sought-after player in a trade this offseason.