Wall is owed $47 million next season, and he's expected to get a buyout unless Rockets general manager Rafael Stone can somehow find a trade partner for the 31-year-old guard. Houston has prioritized development so much that it mothballed former All-Star guard John Wall, paying him $44 million not to play last season and clearing the way for then-21-year-old Kevin Porter Jr. "Hopefully, that leads to some wins, but development is the priority." "The priority is development right now, and along with development comes winning habits and doing things the right way," Rockets coach Stephen Silas says after watching the voluntary workout. 3, 17 and 26), part of a rebuilding plan that requires extreme patience after years of going all-in pursuing a title. The young get younger, as the Rockets now have three first-round picks in the draft (Nos. ET, ESPN and the ESPN App), as owner Tilman Fertitta puts it, referring to Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero, listed in the order of ESPN's most recent mock draft. 3 overall pick in Thursday's draft (8 p.m. Houston also anticipates selecting "one of the three stars" with the No. Wood would have actually been a hindrance to Houston's plan if he played the final season of his three-year, $41 million contract for the Rockets, who will significantly increase Sengun's playing time in his second season. 26 overall pick and a batch of expiring salaries, four players who might not be on the regular-season roster and certainly won't be in the rotation. Two days after his pickup-game display, the Rockets agreed to trade Wood to the Dallas Mavericks for the No. The same can't be said for the 26-year-old Wood, the Rockets' leading scorer and rebounder over the past two seasons. But they all figure prominently in the Rockets' plans for the immediate future and years to come. 2 overall pick Jalen Green and 16th overall pick Alperen Sengun - are old enough to buy a beer. None of the Rockets' rookies from last season - a group headlined by No. The team getting torched by Wood features a few players fresh off their rookie seasons - Daishen Nix, an undrafted guard who starred for the G League champion Vipers and signed a four-year deal with the Rockets late in the season, and first-round picks Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba. As is the case this morning, those runs typically pit the vets versus the kids. These sessions start with shooting and skill work supervised by Rockets coaches, as allowed by league rules, and end with pickup games that staffers are permitted only to watch. The duo has been a staple at weekday morning voluntary workouts, which routinely feature more than half of the Rockets' roster and some players from their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The location: the practice gym inside the Toyota Center, home to the Houston Rockets, the franchise that has won an NBA-worst 37 games over the past two seasons.Įric Gordon - the lone player remaining on the Rockets' roster from the time before they launched into a rebuild - is feeding Wood for some of these 3s. It's June 13, and Game 5 of the NBA Finals tips off in eight hours, but metaphorically, this pickup game takes place as far as possible from the two cities hosting the league's championship series. HOUSTON - Christian Wood keeps swishing 3-pointers and smiling, the skilled big man showing off his shooting range and seemingly responding whenever the other team gets within striking distance.
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