Shumpert arrives
The Rockets acquire defensive ace Iman Shumpert from the Kings for Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss and two draft picks.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seeking a small forward to bring the “3-and-D” qualities they value, the Rockets returned to one of their past targets, completing a threeteam deal Wednesday for Sacramento’s defensiveminded forward Iman Shumpert two hours before they would tip off against the Kings, two individuals with knowledge of the deal said.
The Rockets will send Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss, the players they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the deal to move Ryan Anderson, along with their first-round pick this season and a second-round pick to the Cavaliers in the deal. The firstround pick is lottery protected.
Two more acquisitions
The Rockets also will acquire wing Nik Stauskas and guard Wade Baldwin. Both were acquired by the Cavaliers in the trade that sent Rodney Hood to the Trail Blazers this week. The Kings will acquire Alec Burks from the Cavaliers in the deal.
Neither Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni nor Kings coach Dave Joerger would discuss the trade before Wednesday’s game.
“First and foremost, he’s a defensive presence,” former Kings star and current broadcaster Doug Christie said of Shumpert. “He’s a guy who locks up on the defensive end. He can shoot and stretch on top of the fact he’s an incredible personality. When he walks in the room, he’s a breath of fresh air. He keeps things light. These guys over here absolutely love Shump. They love what he brought in swagger and the competitive nature he brought to the practices.”
That competitive attitude, Christie said, will make Shumpert a good fit for the Rockets’ switching defensive style.
“He’s going to fight (big men),” Christie said. “When you are talking nowadays about all the switching that goes on, you’re not going to just post him up. You’re not going to just beat him up. He’s going to fight and claw. That’s another thing these guys respect about him. He gets to go to a contender and he has the ability to take that team to another level.”
Shumpert, 28, who is considered an outstanding defensive player, is averaging 8.9 points per game and making 36.6 percent of his 3-pointers this season. He is in the last season of a fouryear, $40 million contract worth $11 million this season. Shumpert, 6-5, was part of the Cavaliers’ 2015-16 title team.
Stauskas, a 6-6 guard and small forward, played in 44 games with the Trail Blazers, averaging 6.1 points on 41.9 percent shooting. Like Shumpert, Stauskas and Baldwin, 6-4, are in the final season of their contracts.
Knight, coming back after missing all of last season with knee surgery, and Chriss never cracked the Rockets’ rotation. Chriss played in 16 games, averaging 1.8 points in 6.5 minutes. Knight played in 12 games, averaging three points on 23.4 percent shooting.
“I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to continue to work on myself, work on recovering and getting back to being myself,” Knight said.
Shumpert cleaned out his locker at Golden 1 Center and left well before the Rockets’ 127-101 win Wednesday.
Engaging personality
“I think he’ll fit in fine,” Rockets guard Austin Rivers said. “He’s a very capable defender. Adding defense to this team helps in a lot of ways. We obviously have a lot of offensive power as is and he is no slouch on the offensive end. You have to respect him. The best thing he adds is championship experience. On a team that’s striving to win a championship, adding someone like that is always valuable.
“He’s definitely an entertaining guy. I’m excited for the conversations he and Gerald (Green) are going to have, that we can all be a part of. It’ll be fun.”