The Rockets traded Moochie Norris to the New York Knicks Tuesday, acquiring 6-foot-7 forward Clarence Weatherspoon. Houston also sent never-used forward/center John Amaechi to New York.

It's a trade that unloads bad contracts and struggling players.

The 33-year old Weatherspoon was buried on the bench in New York and new team president Isiah Thomas was in negotiations with the player to buy out his contract before this deal to the Rockets. He's undersized in height, but has some girth to him (270) and if given court time, he can get boards. His best season was in 1993-94 when he averaged 18 and 10 for Philly, but even in 2000-2001 he grabbed just under 10 boards a night for the Cavs.

The problem is his contract: A 5-year, $27 million pact that ends after the 2005-2006 season. The question is: Can he still contribute?

As for Moochie, he was a fan favorite in Houston, sporting a massive fro and game with spunk, but he dropped off significantly in the 2002-2003 season, and despite dropping a lot of weight, his game actually got worse this year. Norris was hitting 31% from the floor before the deal.

Sources have told ClutchFans that the Rockets have been so disenchanted with Moochie that buying out his contract was an option being explored.

Now the question is what do the Rockets do with the backup point guard position? Do they have confidence in Mike Wilks, or do they look to fill the role via trade or free agency?