Rockets hint they are just about done dealing
GM Morey indicates any remaining move likely would involve a minimum contract
Only days into free agency, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey will tap the brakes in the chase for high-dollar free agents and instead go bargain hunting.
Morey said the Rockets likely will try to make one more free-agent addition, using a minimum contract rather than exercising their biannual exception or seeking a deal for a pricier free agent in a sign-and-trade that uses their collection of non-guaranteed contracts.
“We would save them (the bi-annual exception and nonguaranteed contracts),” Morey said. “Both of them, hold them, unless something amazing happens.”
To Morey, “amazing” would be a player who can earn much more than the minimum choosing to join the Rockets’ already crowded rotation.
The potential to trade for Carmelo Anthony could be just as improbable even
though Anthony has let the New York Knicks know that he would like to be traded to the Rockets or Cavaliers, a person familiar with Anthony’s thinking said.
Since an ESPN report Monday that indicated Anthony was “open” to waiving his no trade-clause to play in Houston or Cleveland, multiple individuals with knowledge of the Rockets’ planning said the team is not actively involved in talks about a trade for Anthony. Morey would not comment about any potential trades.
Forward Ryan Anderson is the next highestpaid player on the Rockets roster after Chris Paul and James Harden, but the Knicks have not shown any interest in building a trade around a veteran who is signed longer than Anthony and who plays the same position as Kristaps Porzingas, their most important player.
Morey and Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni have made it clear that they value Anderson’s range shooting as important to the second-ranked offense in the NBA last season and see Anderson’s talents as a good fit with Chris Paul.
The Rockets also are not involved in talks to acquire assets to make a trade with the Knicks more likely.
With little room in the rotation after landing P.J. Tucker and re-signing Nene, the Rockets’ next free-agent effort will be focused on a player, regardless of position, who will sign for the minimum.
“If something really good breaks, we’ll look at it,” Morey said. “But I think teams make mistakes trying to make sure they finish everything on July 3. We’ll have ability to aggregate up the non-guaranteed aspect at any point. We want to save our biannual unless something comes along really good so we can outbid other contenders later.”