Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets' decision to put Christian Wood into the starting lineup coming into this season reportedly didn't sit well with DeMarcus Cousins.  

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Cousins "was not happy" playing behind Wood in head coach Stephen Silas' rotation and wanted more playing time. 

Houston officially waived Cousins on Tuesday.

The Rockets acquired Wood in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 24. He was coming off a breakout season in 2019-20 with 13.1 points per game on 56.7 percent shooting and a 38.6 percent success from three-point range. 

Wood, who has missed the past eight games with an ankle injury, has been Houston's primary starting center this season. The 25-year-old has started all 17 games he's played thus far. He leads the team with 22 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. 

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Rockets on Dec. 1 in an attempt to restart his career. The four-time All-Star appeared in just 78 games combined over the past three seasons because of injuries, including a torn Achilles in January 2018 and a torn ACL in August 2019. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Feb. 19 that Houston was guaranteeing Cousins' $2.3 million contract for this season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the following day that the Rockets and Cousins were planning to part ways. 

Per Marc Berman of Fox 26, the Rockets guaranteed Cousins' deal because "management appreciates his professionalism and how he went about his business."

The Rockets used Cousins as their starting center in 11 of 25 games he played for them. He is averaging a career-low 9.6 points on 37.6 percent shooting and 7.6 rebounds per contest. 

The Houston Rockets waived veteran big man DeMarcus Cousins on Tuesday, ending the veteran's tenure with the club after just 25 appearances.

The 30-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per contest with the Rockets this season.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported last week that the Los Angeles Lakers would be one of the few interested teams should Cousins hit the open market.

Cousins signed with the Lakers prior to last season, but after he suffered a torn ACL during a pickup game that cost him the entire campaign, L.A. parted ways with him.

The four-time All-Star was one of the best players in basketball as recently as the 2017-18 season when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans, but a torn Achilles cut that year short after 48 games.

Cousins then appeared in just 30 regular-season games the following year with the Golden State Warriors after recovering from the Achilles tear. He suffered a torn quad in the playoffs that season, limiting him to eight playoff appearances.

During a five-season stretch from 2013-14 through 2017-18 with the Sacramento Kings and Pelicans, Cousins was named an All-Star four times and established himself as a premier NBA center with averages of 25.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

Cousins has come nowhere close to replicating those numbers since tearing his Achilles, but he is still a versatile big capable of contributing in limited minutes.

The problem for Cousins this season has been efficiency, as he is shooting just 37.6 percent from the field, the worst figure of his career by far.

Given his age and offensive struggles, it makes sense for the Rockets to move on from him. Houston is highly unlikely to make the playoffs at 11-18, and cutting ties with Cousins opens up more playing time for younger guys such as Jae'Sean Tate and Justin Patton.

As for the Lakers, they could use some frontcourt depth, especially with Anthony Davis currently on the shelf with Achilles and calf injuries.

The Lakers have struggled without Davis, as they are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and have fallen to 22-10 on the season, leaving them in a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for second place in the Western Conference.

Cousins won't be a long-term answer, but he could be a quality fill-in until Davis returns before settling into a more fitting bench role.

DeMarcus Cousins isn't leaving the Houston Rockets, according to head coach Stephen Silas.

Amid reports that the team was planning to "part ways" with the center, Silas told reporters Sunday that Cousins wasn't able to finish practice Sunday because of a foot issue but talks of him leaving the team were "just rumors at this point." 

The Rockets signed Cousins to a one-year deal that became guaranteed Friday, a day before Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Cousins would be on the move as soon as starting center Christian Wood returned from injury. 

Cousins has had a tough go of it the last few seasons as an Achilles tear and an ACL tear limited him to 30 regular-season games heading into the 2020-21 campaign. 

The Rockets themselves have been struggling in the aftermath of dealing James Harden and Russell Westbrook out of the franchise and looking instead to John Wall, who dealt with similar injuries that limited him across the past two seasons, and younger players including Wood, Jae'Sean Tate and Danuel House Jr. 

Cousins has gotten the start at center since Wood went down Feb. 4. Through 25 appearances, he has seemed to pick up right where he left off when injuries got the better of him while with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017-18, when he earned the last of his six consecutive All-Star selections. 

While Cousins wouldn't have had much trouble finding somewhere else to play, it seems as though he'll be sticking around in Houston—at least for now. 

The Los Angeles Lakers will pursue Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins, who will reportedly be released in the next few days.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported Saturday the Lakers' interest.

"Sources: The Lakers will be among the teams to pursue DeMarcus Cousins," he wrote. "The market will be limited for Cousins, sources say. He has struggled this year after returning from multiple major injuries. But for L.A. or any team in need of big man depth, few options bring higher upside."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported earlier Saturday that the Rockets plan to "go smaller, younger" in the frontcourt upon the return of the injured Christian Wood (sprained ankle), leading to a parting of ways with Cousins.

The 30-year-old center has averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game for the Rockets. He is a four-time All-Star and has earned two All-NBA nods during a career that began in 2010 with the Sacramento Kings.

Cousins signed with the Lakers during the 2019 offseason but missed the entire 2019-20 campaign with a torn ACL suffered during a mid-August workout.

L.A. waived him in February 2020, and Cousins sat the rest of the season out. He signed with the Rockets in November.

Houston turned the page to a new era after trading Russell Westbrook for Washington Wizards point guard John Wall in the preseason before honoring franchise guard James Harden's trade request and dealing him to the Brooklyn Nets after the season began.

The Rockets have faced significant obstacles this year, with the team shorthanded due to injuries and health and safety protocols.

They haven't been able to form much chemistry with plenty of new faces populating the roster, and Jae'Sean Tate is notably the only player on the team who has taken part in all 28 games this season.

As such, the 11-17 Rockets have lost seven straight to drop to 13th in the Western Conference.

Cousins is best served helping a contending team off the bench as opposed to riding it out on a rebuilding franchise. The defending NBA champion Lakers could use Cousins' scoring and rebounding prowess to bolster the frontcourt, so a second go-round with him in L.A. can reap great benefits.

There will undoubtedly be competition for Cousins' services, though, so we'll see where he eventually ends up.

Saturday's game between the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets reportedly has been postponed.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the postponement comes amid ongoing government restrictions in the state of Texas, including the shutdown of the Toyota Center, due to the severe winter weather in the state. 

This marks the second straight Rockets game that has been postponed because of the ongoing conditions in Texas. The NBA announced their matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, originally scheduled for Friday, was being moved to a later date. 

The Mavs also had their Wednesday game against the Detroit Pistons postponed. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a state-wide disaster declaration on Feb. 12 amid severe winter weather that left millions without power and water. 

Per Justin Carissimo and Zoe Christen Jones of CBS News, approximately 13 million people in the state still don't have access to clean, running water. Abbott told reporters on Thursday that roughly 325,000 residents haven't yet had power restored. 

Other sporting events in the state have also been impacted, including games for the Dallas Stars and college basketball teams. 

The Rockets' next scheduled home game is on Monday against the Chicago Bulls. 

DeMarcus Cousins' performance so far this season has prompted the Houston Rockets to guarantee his contract for the 2020-21 campaign. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets have guaranteed Cousins' $2.3 million salary. 

Teams have until Feb. 27 to decide if they want to guarantee deals on non-guaranteed contracts that were signed during the offseason. 

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Rockets on Dec. 1, giving him an opportunity to rebuild his value after missing all of 2019-20. The 30-year-old was going to play for the Los Angeles Lakers last year, but he tore his ACL during an offseason workout. 

Injuries have derailed Cousins' career dating back to January 2018 when he ruptured his Achilles during a game against the Rockets while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kentucky alumnus attempted to rebuild his value in 2018-19 with the Golden State Warriors, but he was limited to 30 games during the regular season and missed 14 playoff games with a quad injury. 

At his best, Cousins was one of the best scoring centers in the NBA. He made four consecutive All-Star teams from 2015-18 and averaged 25.2 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting in five seasons from 2014-18. 

Even though this season hasn't been a return to form, Cousins has been an effective role player for a Rockets team that's stuck between trying to compete for a playoff spot and rebuilding. He ranks second on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, and he has averaged 9.6 points in 25 appearances. 

The Houston Rockets' game against the Dallas Mavericks for Friday was postponed amid ongoing freezing temperatures in the area, but John Wall found a better way to spend his sudden free time the night before the game. 

After posting a call to action on his Instagram story, asking for restaurant suggestions, Wall said he was able to provide 500 meals from Whataburger to families staying at a Houston furniture store that turned into a shelter as ice storms spread across the region. 

Millions of people across the state were left without power after historically low temperatures swept the region. 

The Mavericks had their Wednesday game against Detroit postponed, and the NHL's Dallas Stars have called off their last three games. 

John Wall opened up about his departure from Washington on Saturday, saying the organization lied to him by telling him he was not on the trade block before shipping him to Houston.

The Rockets guard told Fred Katz of The Athletic that he approached Wizards management before the deal, and the team said it had no plans on moving him. 

“I felt like I deserved the honesty and respect because I’ve been there for 10 years. I’ve been through the bad times, when we had shitty teams and when we had good teams in D.C.,” Wall said. “I never turned my back on the organization. I played through damn near every injury that a lot of people wouldn’t have played through. I played through broken hands in the playoffs. I think I did everything I could and gave everything I had, heart and soul to the organization on and off the court.

“Then everybody kept telling me, ‘No, it’s not true. Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it.’ And I’m like, I know Houston probably called them first. But it’s part of the business. Why wouldn’t you call if somebody wants to be traded? You know what I mean? And it’s not nothing, just having conversations. And that’s all I wanted. If you’re having conversations, that’s cool, I get it. Nobody could ever tell me the truth about it.”

Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard told reporters there were "no plans" to trade Wall in a Nov. 23 press conference. Washington then traded Wall and a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick to Houston for Russell Westbrook two weeks later.

While it's not uncommon for an organization to tell a player one thing and then change their mind, Wall spent a decade in Washington and was a beloved perennial All-Star before injuries derailed his career. Prior to suffering a ruptured Achilles during the 2018-19 season, he had made five straight All-Star teams and was an All-NBA selection in 2016-17.

Most, including Wall and Bradley Beal, expected the Wizards to give the backcourt duo at least another season before breaking them up. Wall's contract seemingly made him untradeable, and the Wizards still had time to right the ship before considering moving on from Beal and beginning a full-scale rebuild.

Washington chose to prioritize retaining Beal by moving Wall for Westbrook, who they hoped would be a better (and healthier) fit. The results have not been there, however, with the Wizards currently sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference.

Wall is set to play his first game back in D.C. as a visitor Monday.

Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo was ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's game against the Miami Heat with a sore right foot and ankle, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Any physical setback for the Indiana University product is notable considering he ruptured his quad in January 2019. That kept him sidelined until January 2020, and he also missed time during the 2019-20 campaign with knee and back injuries.

It wasn't long ago that Oladipo was considered one of the league's premier two-way playmakers as an All-NBA third-team selection who averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game in 2017-18.

While he struggled to replicate that type of impact in 2019-20 on the Indiana Pacers while averaging 14.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals a night in just 19 games, he is averaging 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 2020-21.

Look for Houston to rely on the combination of Eric Gordon, Danuel House Jr. and David Nwaba on the wing without Oladipo.

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is making nearly $8 million in base salary this season, and it's a good thing given the amount of money he spends on footwear. 

He told Mike DeStefano of Complex that he spends "a crazy number" on sneakers every year. 

DeStefano reminded him that he told the magazine in the past that he was spending $200,000 annually on sneakers, but he laughed at the comment and said he "just threw a number out there." 

Whatever he's spending, Tucker's collection has caught the attention of at least one of his teammates. Back in January, DeMarcus Cousins posted an Instagram video of Tucker's shoes, letting his teammate know that "this s--t getting out of hand."