Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets Salary Cap Update: 2012-13 Training Camp Edition
With the Houston Rockets opening training camp in advance of the 2012-13 NBA season, let’s take a look at the team’s current salary cap situation.
Published
12 years agoon
With the Houston Rockets opening training camp in advance of the 2012-13 NBA season, let’s take a look at the team’s current salary cap situation.
The Rockets’ Latest Moves
Since my last update, the Rockets have made the following roster moves:
- The Rockets signed Carlos Delfino in mid-August to a two-year deal paying him $3 million next season with a non-guaranteed $3 million salary for the 2013-14 season.
- The Rockets waived Josh Harrellson (on August 15) and Sean Williams (on August 29), whose salaries would have become fully guaranteed had they not been waived at those times.
- On September 7, the team signed Scott Machado to a three-year deal for the league minimum salary, with the first year 50% guaranteed.
- The Rockets waived Diamon Simpson.
- On September 25, the team waived Courtney Fortson and signed guards Demetri McCamey and Kyle Fogg (presumably to non-guaranteed league minimum contracts).
The Trade That Wasn’t
Conspicuous by its absence from the list above is a major trade for You Know Who. For some reason, the ownership and top management of the Orlando Magic felt that Arron Afflalo was a future multiple-time All-Star and that Maurice Harkless (a player the Magic scouted heavily before the draft) was a top-10 talent from this year’s draft class. In their attempt to push the league’s best center out of the Eastern Conference (something that could have just as easily been accomplished by trading him to the Rockets), the Magic instead ushered the league’s second-best center into the Eastern Conference, allowing Andrew Bynum to go to the Sixers in the four-team monstrosity that most pundits claim benefited every team involved except the Magic.
Instead of the lottery-level draft picks, young talent and cap flexibility that the Rockets’ trade offer(s) could have provided the Magic, Orlando instead is left with some comparable young talent but also some bloated contracts (Afflalo and Al Harrington) and a plethora of future picks almost guaranteed to be at the back-end of the first round.
As a result of that trade, the Lakers are back to “top title contender” status and the Rockets are back to the drawing board.
Salary Commitments and Potential Cap Room
(DISCLAIMER: With 20 players currently on the roster, one can be assured that further roster moves will be made, since the regular season roster must contain no more than 15 players. The figures below do not represent the Rockets’ true cap situation once such additional moves are made; they are solely intended to give you a picture of the Rockets’ current cap situation. All salaries courtesy of ShamSports.com.)
Barring any further roster moves, the Houston Rockets now have approximately $55.58 million in team salary for the 2012-13 season: Kevin Martin ($12.44 million), Jeremy Lin ($8.37 million), Omer Asik ($8.37 million), Shaun Livingston ($3.5 million, only $1 million of which is guaranteed), Delfino ($3 million), Patrick Patterson ($2.10 million), Toney Douglas ($2.07 million), Jeremy Lamb ($2.02 million), Marcus Morris ($1.91 million), Royce White ($1.65 million), Gary Forbes ($1.5 million), Terrence Jones ($1.49 million), Donatas Motiejunas ($1.36 million), JuJuan Johnson ($1.09 million), Jon Brockman ($1 million), Chandler Parsons ($888,250), Greg Smith ($762,195, of which 50% is guaranteed), Machado ($473,604, of which 50% is guaranteed), McCamey ($473,604, non-guaranteed), Fogg ($473,604, non-guaranteed), and the cap hit from the Derek Fisher buyout ($644,005; more on that here).
[ShamSports.com shows that the Rockets also owe E’Twaun Moore $381,098 (50% of his 2012-13 salary), supposedly the product of a renegotiation of his contract with Boston prior to the Courtney Lee sign-and-trade deal in which the Rockets acquired him. However, according to a source familiar with the Rockets’ salary cap situation, the Rockets are not paying Moore; hence, I am disregarding this salary for purposes of my own cap calculations. Even if ShamSports.com is correct about Moore, though, the acquisition of the Charlotte Bobcats’ 2013 second round pick from Boston was well worth the small incremental loss of cap space.]
Based on this season’s maximum salary cap of $58.044 million, unless the Rockets make another trade or sign another free agent, they will have at least approximately $2.47 million in salary cap room entering the season (or about $2.09 million if they do, in fact, take a cap hit on Moore). This assumes that only players whose salaries are fully guaranteed are waived. That is a rather unsafe assumption, however.
[NOTE: Rather than make assumptions on what the Rockets’ cap situation will look like based on the numerous combinations of how the final roster will look, I will reserve any discussion on the Rockets’ available cap room for my next Salary Cap Update once the final regular season roster is set.]
Decisions, Decisions – Part 1: Who To Keep?
Of the 20 players under contract with the Rockets, 18 of them are owed at least some guaranteed money that would count against the cap if they were waived. Of those, 15 players have fully guaranteed contracts.
For a moment, let’s make the rather safe assumption that the Rockets will not be cutting any of their (or at least my) projected starting five (Lin, Martin, Parsons, Patterson and Asik), Delfino and their own 2011 and 2012 first round draft picks (Morris, Motiejunas, Lamb, White and Jones). That leaves nine players fighting for four regular season roster spots.
Of those nine remaining players, Douglas has the most guaranteed money owed and also plays some point guard, a position at which the Rockets are low on experience. Douglas also possesses two skills that the Rockets can really use: perimeter defense and (at least prior to his abysmal 2011-12 season) three-point shooting. Therefore, I think Douglas may be safe and could become a decent bench option as a combo guard and defensive upgrade over Lin and Martin (neither of whom should be getting any votes for the NBA All-Defense Team any time soon).
Forbes, Johnson and Brockman are all young forwards who have at least shown flashes of being able to play in the NBA (with Johnson being a 2011 first round pick by Boston). Each is owed at least $1 million guaranteed. While their games are all different (Forbes is a SF with a bit of range; Johnson is a PF/C with length; and Brockman is an undersized bruiser PF), it is unlikely that all three of them make the regular season roster.
Smith is an intriguing prospect, a 6-10 manchild with the girth and wingspan to play center. He’s guaranteed half of his 2012-13 salary, but that amount ($381,098) is a lot less than what would be owed to any of the above-referenced forwards if they were waived. Still, Smith’s ability to play center (he’s more of a “true 5” than Johnson or Brockman) may help him make the team. It also helps that Smith was successful last season playing with the Rio Grand Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ NBA D-League affiliate, as he would likely be spending more time there next season if he remains a Rocket.
Machado appears to have a fairly decent shot at the third string point guard spot after the recent waiving of Fortson. While McCamey is actually a pretty decent prospect in his own right, Machado may be coming off a more successful season, having led college basketball in assists last season as a senior at Iona. One major advantage that Machado has over McCamey is his contract. Machado is guaranteed about $236,802 (50% of his 2012-13 salary) and is locked up for two additional years at the league minimum salary, none of which is guaranteed. Look for Machado to get the nod over McCamey unless McCamey clearly separates himself during training camp and in the preseason.
Fogg–an undersized SG–has little chance of making the team but could at least bring himself some attention if he plays solid defense during the preseason.
Shaun Livingston: A Case Study in Cap Management
Perhaps the most interesting player on the bubble–at least from a cap management standpoint–is Livingston. A veteran 6-7 point guard capable of defending multiple positions, Livingston certainly brings something to the table to help the Rockets next season. However, his contract makes him either (a) expendable as a training camp cut or (b) a valuable in-season trade asset, depending on how the Rockets look at it.
If Livingston were waived prior to the start of the regular season, the Rockets would open up an additional $2.5 million in available cap room. On the other hand, if there is nothing imminently available for which that cap room would be needed, it could make more sense for the Rockets to hang onto Livingston and his contract.
First off, Livingston is probably one of the 15 most useful current Rockets players, so his inclusion on the regular season roster could at least contribute somewhat to some on-court success and/or the development of some of the younger guards. But perhaps just as importantly to this Rockets franchise in transition, Livingston’s contract–which contains no guarantee date–can be used during the season as a trade asset until it finally becomes guaranteed on January 10. Rather than opening up $2.5 million in extra cap room for trades by waiving him, the Rockets could instead take on as much as $4.35 million in additional guaranteed salary by trading Livingston.
Let’s say the Rockets make another move or two using their remaining cap room and perhaps even use the $2.5 million “Room” Exception to add a veteran free agent. They could later use Livingston’s contract to acquire a player making $5.35 million (or more, if the Rockets included other salaries in the deal), with the other team then able to waive Livingston and only pay him $1 million.
With all that said, the Rockets’ current cap situation may dictate that it’s simply not worth it to keep Livingston on the roster.
Unless the other team is gaining significant savings with a trade involving Livingston, it is likely that the Rockets would need to throw in at least $1 million in cash (or perhaps a future second round pick) in order to offset Livingston’s partial guarantee. My guess is that Rockets GM Daryl Morey would prefer to hang onto as much of his $3.1 million “Maximum Annual Cash Limit” (the maximum that teams can include in all trades combined during the 2012-13 season) for either a blockbuster trade for a star player or a draft day trade.
For all the potential benefits of keeping him around, the additional cap room–plus the additional young player who could be kept on the roster–may simply be more valuable to the Rockets than holding onto Livingston the Trade Asset.
Decisions, Decisions – Part 2: Exercise of Rookie Scale Contract Options

The Rockets will need to decide soon whether to exercise their team options for 2013-14 on Morris, Patterson and Johnson.
Which 15 players make the final regular season roster is not the only decision that Rockets brass will need to make during the month of October. They will also need to make longer-terms decisions on the futures of Patterson, Morris and Johnson, each of whom is a former first round pick who is at least one year in to his rookie scale contract. Patterson’s fourth-year team option (for just under $3.11 million) and Morris’s ($1.99 million) and Johnson’s ($1.14 million) third-year team options must be exercised by October 31.
The decision on Patterson seems like an easy one. Despite a lackluster second year, Patterson shows promise as a young big who can defend both down low and on the pick-and-roll. And based on reports out of offseason workouts, he is developing his post-up game, which was one of the key skills he possessed coming out of Kentucky in 2010 that caused the Rockets to rank him so high on their draft board. The team expects bigger things from Patterson this season, and they are likely willing to bet on him being worth his 2013-14 salary even before seeing whether he achieves any of their goals for him.
Morris has a lot to prove during training camp. Lauded by management a year ago as a poor man’s Carmelo Anthony (a “big 3” who can create his own shot and take advantage of either bigger or smaller defenders with his diverse set of offensive skills), Morris was a disappointment last season. While an ankle injury derailed a nice run he was having with the RGV Vipers, he also seemed to sulk at times over his lack of playing time and his being sent to the D-League during the season. In fairness to Morris, however, the lockout-shortened season and the Rockets’ salary cap balancing act provided little training camp or practice time for him to work on his transition from power forward to small forward, something that few young players can easily accomplish. Given where he was drafted and the relatively small price tag, it would be somewhat surprising if the Rockets did not pick up Morris’s option.
Perhaps one of the more interesting decisions to be made is with Johnson. A defensive stalwart out of Purdue in 2011, Johnson spent a year glued to the bench in Boston, learning his craft from one of the all-time greats at his position (Kevin Garnett). Most reports out of Boston were that the Celtics really didn’t want to part with Johnson but were forced to in order to acquire Lee from Houston. Unfortunately for Johnson, he joins a roster replete with power forwards. Even if he can manage to make the final cut for this season, he will need to truly impress the Rockets in training camp–and show that he is capable of playing multiple positions–in order for the team to commit to a guy who might not be more than the sixth big man on the 2013-14 roster.
Conclusion
With the utter disappointment of failing to acquire a superstar this offseason giving way (for many) to cautious optimism about the long-term potential for this young Rockets team (if not outright relief that The Dwightmare is over), Rockets fans can once again move forward. And despite being spurned yet again in their pursuit of a star player, the Rockets are still well-positioned to make a move if/when another star “shakes loose” (as Morey would say).
With a roster deep (if not top-heavy) in talent, there will be some interesting training camp battles this year. The Rockets are hopeful that such competition will only further improve their plethora of young players.
Bonus Footage
Here is my kid. He is smart. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
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Houston Rockets
Houston a potential landing spot for Ben Simmons post-buyout?
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 6, 2025
ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst said on Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline show that Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons is working on a buyout and the Houston Rockets is a potential landing spot for him.
“Cleveland and Houston are two situations for Ben Simmons,” said Windhorst.
Brian Windhorst says the Cavaliers and Rockets are buyout locations for Ben Simmons.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/7ly4mvmxr5
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 6, 2025
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Rockets coach Ime Udoka was an assistant coach in Philadelphia in 2019-20 when Simmons was with the Sixers, before injuries took a significant toll. In fact, Udoka, when speaking about Amen Thompson earlier this season, brought up some comparisons to Simmons.
“The skill set is there, and it’s something that’s unique with his speed, athleticism, size, passing ability, and all those things,” said Udoka of Thompson. “I coached somebody, Ben Simmons, who had similar traits… as far as size and ability to push the pace, and find guys and finish. There are some similarities there.”
Both Thompson and Simmons are known for their elite athleticism, defensive versatility, and ability to create opportunities in transition.
However, can Simmons help the Rockets today? That’s the tough question.
Simmons has played in 33 games this season, averaging 6.2 points, 6.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in 25 minutes a night. He does not shoot threes (like, at all) — he has only attempted two threes in the past three seasons combined.
Ideally, he does not play in front of your young forwards of Amen, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. and on that basis alone, I think I would pass. But, Ime loves defensive dogs and he could use some extra ballhandling on the roster. You can see that there’s little in the way of offensive organization when Fred VanVleet is out.
There would be a comical full circle moment though if the Rockets did sign Ben Simmons, considering the Rockets were heavily criticized for trading James Harden in 2021 to Brooklyn instead of to Philadelphia for Simmons. The Rockets clearly made the right choice there.
Houston Rockets
Rockets pick up another second-round pick in deal with Hawks
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 6, 2025
The Houston Rockets are working the phones to do a little more asset management.
After acquiring a second-round pick from Boston to take on Jaden Springer’s salary, the Rockets made another similar move, absorbing the contract of Cody Zeller this season to get back a 2028 second-round pick.
Ironically, that pick is Houston’s own 2028 second-round pick that the Rockets sent to Atlanta in 2023.
The pick the Rockets get back from Atlanta — Houston's own 2028 second-round pick — was originally sent from Houston to Atlanta in the 2023 salary dump move that traded Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington to the Hawks.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 6, 2025
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The Rockets waived Springer to make roster room for Zeller. They will likely do the same with Zeller in order to make room for a buyout signing in the coming days or weeks.
It’s a small move but it’s another good one on the margins. These second-round picks add up. The two the Rockets got in the past couple of days — Boston’s 2030 second and Houston’s own 2028 second — could be eventually combined in a deal that nets the Rockets a solid role player down the line. Houston did exactly this last season when they acquired Steven Adams from Memphis.
So quick grade? Easy A. Solid asset management work by Rockets GM Rafael Stone and credit to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for being willing to spend millions just to get some extra seconds.
Houston Rockets
Rockets Pick Up Jaden Springer, Second-Round Pick in Trade with Celtics
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 5, 2025
The NBA Trade Deadline is just over 24 hours away but the Houston Rockets have already made a move.
OK, it’s not that kind of move, but Rafael Stone and the front office did make a trade on the margins on Wednesday, picking up Jaden Springer and a 2030 second-round pick from Boston.
The Rockets leveraged their open roster spot and salary situation to take the contract of Springer off the hands of the Celtics, who are saving a ton in luxury tax payments by making the move. It’s smart business by the Rockets, who are doing this for a second-round pick in 2030.
Now, usually a Celtics second-round pick is not worth much, but this is five years out so it’s a quality asset as far as seconds go. In today’s NBA, these kinds of picks have grown in value as key assets for being in a position to land solid role players. With the Rockets planning on being a playoff team for the next several years, this addition could prove useful in addressing future roster needs.
This trade framework between Houston and Boston may not be new to you. If you watched or listened to the ClutchFans Podcast on Monday, David Weiner, aka BimaThug, literally called out this exact possibility of the Rockets taking on Springer and landing a second-round pick.
I have to give a ton of credit to @BimaThug . He called this exact trade on the podcast the other day. Looking forward to the Jaden Springer breakdown. https://t.co/n9HMBdcw0m pic.twitter.com/ctHk6tKbGd
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 5, 2025
As for Springer himself, this was a player I liked quite a bit in the 2021 NBA Draft and I wanted the Rockets to take him at the Josh Christopher spot. He has not quite panned out just yet. He’s got good size for a point guard (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) but is not a strong playmaker and has not been incredibly accurate as a shooter (25.0% from three).
But he does have good defensive potential. Does that get Ime Udoka’s attention at all? Possibly, but the Rockets likely will get an end-of-the-bench look at him for the rest of the season before his contract expires this offseason.
Houston Rockets
Podcast: Doncic to Lakers, Fox to Spurs and the Trade Deadline for the Houston Rockets
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 3, 2025
Luka Doncic traded to the Lakers? De’Aaron Fox traded to the Spurs?
What a crazy few days it has been, and the NBA trade deadline (Feb 6) hasn’t even arrived yet. The league is already turned upside down, so what does this mean for the Western Conference and the Houston Rockets?
Join Dave Hardisty and David Weiner on this episode of the ClutchFans Podcast as they break down:
- The shocking Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers
- Could the Rockets have had a legit chance at Luka?
- How De’Aaron Fox changes San Antonio’s future
- The Rockets owning Dallas’ 2029 first-round pick
- What the Rockets could do at the NBA trade deadline
The podcast premieres at 7:30am CT! Come join us!
CLUTCHFANS PODCAST: SPOTIFY | APPLE
Houston Rockets
How the stunning Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers impacts the Houston Rockets
Dallas did the unthinkable by trading their superstar – what does this mean for Houston now and in the future?
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 2, 2025
Late Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick.
I know, it doesn’t seem even remotely real. This is the most shocking sports trade of my lifetime. I can’t think of one bigger nor one more unbelievable.
The Mavericks have to know something about Doncic that we don’t. It’s being reported that his poor conditioning, weight issues and looming supermax contract were the biggest factors, but this is a young phenom who is hypercompetitive. He might very well haunt Dallas for a long time.
It’s an absolutely fascinating move. So how does this impact the Houston Rockets now and in the future?
The Rockets Couldn’t Get Luka?
The first reaction is of course, “Luka Doncic was available?!?” That leads to the inevitable question of why the Rockets didn’t get involved.
The simple answer is they didn’t know. Nobody really did — and it would not have mattered if they did.
This is a classic example of how sometimes in the NBA, it doesn’t matter how big of a treasure trove of assets you have. What matters is having the right single asset. Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison wanted Anthony Davis and that was that. The Rockets, with all their youth and picks, would not have been able to compete for Luka because they couldn’t help Harrison with his goals.
At the same time, this has to be maddening for Rockets GM Rafael Stone and the Houston front office, who have tried to position themselves for just such a trade when it became available. Doncic is 25-years old and was seen as an untouchable top-5 player, a dream target, the kind of player teams fantasize about stealing — yet the Mavericks booted him out of Dallas like a bad tenant in the dead of night. No league-wide bidding war — just unceremoniously traded while 28 other teams sat clueless, never even getting a shot at the prize.
Dallas could have had their pick of top young players and draft choices had they made this an actual competition so this trade will be questioned and second-guessed for many years to come.
Rockets Control Dallas’ 2029 first-round pick
There is a silver lining for the Rockets and that’s the control they have on Dallas’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected).
The Houston Rockets own the right to potentially receive or swap the Dallas Mavericks first-round pick in 2029.
Kyrie Irving will turn 37 years old that season and Anthony Davis will turn 36. pic.twitter.com/JTwz0PA871
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 2, 2025
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Dallas traded that pick to Brooklyn in the deal for Kyrie Irving in 2023. Brooklyn gave control of the pick to Houston as part of the deal to get their own picks (2025, 2026) back this past summer. So the Rockets control the best two first-round picks (unprotected) out of Phoenix, Dallas and Houston’s own first in the year 2029.
In this deal, Dallas’ core got older. Irving will turn 37 in the 2028-29 season and Davis will turn 36. This is four years away so a tremendous amount can change between now and then, but on paper it is a strong positive indicator for the value of that pick.
Keep in mind, the Rockets are unlikely to actually use this draft pick — they’re more likely to trade it to strengthen their current roster. So, what actually happens to Dallas four years from now isn’t as important as how teams around the league perceive the value of that pick right now and in the near future.
This looks like a potential win for Stone, Patrick Fertitta and the Rockets front office.
Impact on Western Conference
Both the Lakers (currently 5th seed) and Mavericks (currently 8th) are potential first-round matchups for the Rockets this postseason.
Los Angeles: The Lakers may have taken a short-term hit, but if Luka’s conditioning issues can be fixed, this trade completely revitalizes their future. Before this move, Los Angeles was still relying on a 40-year-old LeBron James with no clear path forward, especially with their draft picks already limited. Now, they’ve managed to land Doncic, who put up 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game last season at just 24 years old, in exchange for a 31-year-old Davis. That’s highway robbery.
The NBA just handed the Lakers another superstar lifeline (like Shaquille O’Neal, like Pau Gasol, like Chris “Basketball Reasons” Paul, like LeBron James, like Anthony Davis) and they took full advantage.
But right now, this is an odd fit. The Lakers have no size. More moves have to be on the way here so stay tuned on how the Rockets match up with this squad.
Dallas: Luka had been out for over a month and the Mavericks have been slipping. Dallas says they want to focus on defense and they do get that in Davis. They went from relying on two forces on the perimeter to putting the ball in Kyrie’s hands as the leader and leveraging their size in Davis, Derrick Lively (when he returns healthy) and Daniel Gafford.
The Rockets have excellent perimeter defenders, but their lack of interior rim protection makes it tough to handle Davis and any additional size next to him. This could be a real challenge for Alperen Sengun. While Sengun offensively dominated Gafford in their last matchup, he struggled against Lively — and Davis is on a whole different level.
But can Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks take out the head of the snake in Kyrie? Three-point shooting efficiency will likely be the key against Dallas. I think this is a tougher matchup for Houston right now, but long term, I think this really helps the Rockets. We will find out soon as Houston faces the Mavericks (without Lively) this Saturday.
One last potentially positive note to close on: Texas is fertile ground for free agents. No state income tax and warm weather have always been draws for NBA players, so having young superstars like Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic playing for your two rivals in the state had the potential to make things problematic when recruiting players trying to win a championship. Dallas loses that draw and becomes a team with a much smaller window… and who wants to live in San Antonio over Houston?