House to be placed on waivers
The Rockets will waive forward Danuel House Jr., the second-longest tenured player on their roster, giving him a chance to join a team that will have more playing time for him and opening a roster spot for Garrison Mathews to sign a standard NBA contract, a person with knowledge of the moves said.
The Rockets will make the moves Saturday, signing Mathews, who was playing on a two-way deal with their G League team, to a four-year, $8.2 million contract. It will be worth $2 million in each of the next three seasons including 2021-22 (nonguaranteed after this season), with a $2.2 million team option in the fourth season.
The Rockets also will sign guard Trevelin Queen off their G League affiliate’s roster to the two-way contract spot opened by signing Mathews to a standard contract.
Queen will be in Detroit and available with the Rockets potentially shorthanded Saturday. Guard Armoni Brooks is questionable with a sore ankle and guard Josh Christopher is dealing with a bruised thigh but is expected to play.
House, a Houston native who played at UH and Texas A&M, played four seasons with the Rockets, longer than any current player other than Eric Gordon. He has averaged a career-low 4.8 points this season on 33.8 percent shooting, including 29.4 percent from deep, playing in just 14 games after sitting out for a variety of reasons, most recently with a sprained ankle.
The Rockets agreed with House’s representatives to allow him to become a free agent now, when many teams are getting hardship waivers to fill roster spots with so many players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Technical fouls becoming trend
The Rockets’ frustration with officiating was evident throughout Thursday’s loss against the Knicks. That has become a trend for them.
Forward Jae’Sean Tate’s technical foul gave the Rockets at least one technical in six consecutive games, including the two guard D.J. Augustin got in Cleveland on Wednesday in a game in which the Rockets were already shorthanded with guards Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Gordon out along with center Christian Wood.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who picked up one of those technicals Monday in Atlanta, he said he believes a young team is “not going to get the calls.” But he said he will watch to make sure that any issues with officiating do not detract from play.
“I do have an issue with distractions, playing well when distracted,” Silas said. “At times, we do get distracted, whether it’s calls or missed shots or whatever. If it gets overboard, it will be something I’ll address with the group.
“I do talk to individual guys about it, making sure they’re not playing distracted. But we’re a young team. We’re trying to make our way. We’re not going to get calls. That’s just the way it is. We have to be mature enough to play through stuff like that.”
Tate seemed particularly frustrated Thursday when foul trouble limited him to 29 minutes before he fouled out.
“That just comes with being the type of player I am, kind of strong, stocky build,” Tate said. “I’ve never gotten those calls.”