Rockets deal away Ariza

The Houston Rockets have traded forward Trevor Ariza to the New Orleans Hornets as part of a four-team trade.

Houston acquires shooting guard Courtney Lee from the New Jersey Nets, and he should be a fine backup to Kevin Martin.

The Rockets liked Ariza but traded for Martin last year, causing salary cap issues for the money concious team.

Ariza signed a five-year, $35 million deal last year, which would have put the Rockets significantly over the luxury tax limit. ( Read More…)

Friday, August 13, 2010 at 9:36 pm by steve

Tags: Rockets news, Rockets schedule, Rockets tickets

Yao could opt to retire if foot doesn’t heal

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming said retirement is a real possibility if his foot does not heal properly.

Excitement has been building over Yao’s return to the league but the center has been more reserved in his feelings.

He is just 30-years old and still has several prime seasons ahead of him, so a forced retirement would be a shame.

Ming is entering the final year of his contract, giving him another reason to retire if things don’t get any better. ( Read More…)

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 6:59 pm by steve

Tags: Add new tag, Rockets news, Rockets schedule, Rockets tickets

Ming tempers expectations

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is expected to make his return to the NBA this season, but hold off on all of the big expectations.

Despite positive reports on Yao coming out of Houston, the center seems unsure of how he will play next year.

He said he just wants to focus on getting through the next season completely healthy before raising any expectations.

If he can stay healthy, Yao said he will then look to the following season to regain his form on the court. ( Read More…)

Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 5:22 pm by steve

Tags: Rockets news, Rockets schedule, Rockets tickets

Rockets sign Miller

The Houston Rockets have signed veteran center Brad Miller to a three-year deal worth $15 million.

Miller is considered one of the better centers in the league, though age is catching up with him.

He is considered valuable insurance for the Rockets in case Yao Ming has more foot problems. ( Read More…)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 3:56 pm by steve

Tags: Rockets news, Rockets schedule, Rockets tickets

Rockets sign Lowry

The Houston Rockets have matched the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer sheet extended to guard Kyle Lowry.

That means that Lowry will receive a three-year, $24 million deal to remains with the Rockets.

The Rockets like what Lowry brings to the table and have used him as the primary backup to point guard Aaron Brooks. ( Read More…)

Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 6:51 am by steve

Tags: Rockets news, Rockets schedule, Rockets tickets

Rockets willing to break up team to land star?

The Houston Rockets appear to be willing to break up their nucleus in order to bring in a top free agent this summer. Yahoo! Sports’ Mark Miller confirms the rumors.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has his eyes set on Houston native Chris Bosh among other big names, but would have to negotiate a sign-and-trade to stay under the salary cap. As a result, Houston is offering up Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, and even Luis Scola in potential trades. ( Read More…)

Sunday, July 4, 2010 at 2:00 pm by Raj Sethi

Tags: chris bosh, houston rockets news, houston rockets schedule, houston rockets tickets, luis scola, yao ming

Rockets Acquire Kevin Martin From Kings

Goodbye Tracy McGrady, hello Kevin Martin.

The Rockets finally jettisoned their expensive, non-playing star to the New York Knicks in a three-team trade right before the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, netting the Kings’ Kevin Martin in return.

The Rockets also receive Hilton Armstrong from the Kings, Jared Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill from the Knicks, the right to swap first-round picks with the Knicks in 2011 and the first-round pick of the Knicks in 2012.

In my humble opinion, this trade is a complete steal for the Rockets, setting them up for success now and in the long-term.

Martin is a proven 20-point scorer that will pair with Aaron Brooks to form one of the Western Conference’s most dangerous backcourts, Jeffries is a 6′11″ body who can defend three positions on a team that starts a 6′6″ center, and the Rockets basically stole the Knicks future away from them.

Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:04 pm by bryan

Rockets looking to deal McGrady

The Houston Rockets continue to look for potential suitors for star guard Tracy McGrady.

There should be a significant number of teams that would like to trade for his $23 million expiring contract.

The Rockets don’t seem interested in holding onto him and using the extra space to lure a star to Houston this summer.

Instead, they are hopeful of adding several pieces to their team and turning it into a legit contender in the Western Conference.

The New York Knicks could be one of those teams, with Al Harrington and Jordan Hill being the start of such a package.

at 5:13 pm by steve

McGrady leaves team

Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady has left the team because he is upset over the amount of playing time he is receiving.

The Rockets like the current group of players they have and the way they are rotated in and out of games. They are winning a fair amount of games, and a lot of it has to do with chemistry and defense.

It is clear that the team is afraid to give McGrady major minutes because it would completely alter the chemistry of the team. Maybe he could fit in, but the risk of finding out is too big.

The forward also has a long history of health problems, so the Rockets don’t want to push him too hard, too fast. They would rather very slowly ease him back into the swing of things.

McGrady wants to be traded if he is not going to see the playing time that a starter would get, and it’s very possible that he will be shipped off elsewhere in the coming month or so.

Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 9:56 am by steve

McGrady to be an All-Star?

If the voting were to end today, Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady would be a starter in the All-Star game.

That all sounds great except for one small stipulation: McGrady has yet to step on the floor for the Rockets this year.

He has 20,000 more votes than Dwyane Wade, who is leading the Eastern Conference in voting.

The former multi-time All-Star is still trying to recover from knee surgery, though he has told the team he wants to play.

The Rockets continue to hold him back, wanting to make sure he is completely healthy before he returns.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:09 am by steve