Rockets Acquire Davis and West from Celtics
Houston Sends Wesley and Barry to Boston
The
Houston Rockets have acquired forward Ricky Davis and guard
Delonte West from the
Boston Celtics in exchange for guards
David Wesley and
Jon Barry, Rockets GM
Carroll Dawson announced today.
Davis joins the Rockets with career averages of 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 423 NBA games.
"The additions of Ricky and Delonte solidify our game," said Dawson. "Ricky can play both small forward and shooting guard positions and has proven himself as a consistent and effective scorer; Delonte didn't have a lot of time to show his skills, that's why I want him to do it here. It is never easy parting with players such as David and Jon but in this league you have to give up quality players in order to get quality players."
Davis averaged 9.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing in 23 games for the Celtics this season.
Davis began his NBA career in the 1998 NBA Draft, when he got picked by the Charlotte Hornets with the 21st pick. Then he played with Miami (2000-01), Cleveland (2001-04) and Boston (04-06).
West averaged 4.5 points and 1.7 assists per game in 39 starts for Boston last season.
Rockets also waived forward Clarence Weatherspoon, after a lot of tries to trade him. With this last move, jersey numbers are now correct.
Reggie Evans will wear #30 (#34 was Olajuwon's retired number), Davis will wear #12, West will wear #13, Wesley will wear #5 in Boston (#4 and #7 are both retired) and Barry will wear #20.
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Rockets Acquire Evans & Fortson
Howard & Ward Headed to Seattle
HOUSTON, Oct. 30 – The
Houston Rockets have acquired forwards
Reggie Evans and
Danny Fortson from the
Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for forward
Juwan Howard and guard
Charlie Ward, Rockets GM
Carroll Dawson announced today.
"Both Reggie and Danny are awesome rebounders and we love their style of play," Dawson admitted. "Juwan didn't like Houston and Charlie wouldn't play a significant amount of minutes under Jeff (Van Gundy)'s new system."
Evans averaged 4.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in the 2004-05 season with Seattle. He made seven double-doubles and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 41 times. He's averaged 3.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in his career (3 seasons).
Fortson made six double-doubles. He averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds. In his career (8 seasons) he averaged 8.7 points and 7.6 rebounds.
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Rockets Sign GM Dawson to Contract Extension
Houston Rockets Owner
Leslie Alexander announced today that GM
Carroll Dawson has been signed to a multi-year contract extension. Dawson is in his 25th season with the Rockets and his ninth as the GM for the franchise.
"CD has been very loyal to the Rockets organization over the past 25 years," Alexander said. "It is great for our organization to have someone of his experience when it comes to dealing in league matters. We signed him to a multi-year extension in order to ensure he remains a member of the Rockets family for years to come."
Dawson oversees all player personnel activity for the Rockets. His duties include dealing with free agency and trade issues, managing the scouting department, and assessing the team’s needs. During his first eight seasons, Dawson traded for All-Stars
Charles Barkley,
Steve Francis and
Scottie Pippen, while selecting
Yao Ming and
Cuttino Mobley in the NBA Draft.
This summer, Dawson worked with Alexander to change the face of the franchise by obtaining two-time NBA scoring champion
Tracy McGrady from Orlando in a multi-player deal that included Francis and Mobley. Dawson has now given Houston a nucleus of Yao and McGrady, two players 25 years or younger with a combined eight NBA All-Star Game selections. In addition, Dawson has provided support to this talented duo with the offseason additions of hard-working veterans
Juwan Howard,
Dikembe Mutombo and
Bob Sura. Through the course of this season, Dawson has further bolstered the roster with trades for
Jon Barry,
Mike James and
David Wesley, who have each immediately entered the Rockets rotation.
Dawson worked as a Rockets assistant coach under
Del Harris from 1980-83,
Bill Fitch from 1983-88,
Don Chaney from 1988-92 and
Rudy Tomjanovich from 1992-96. He holds the distinction of being the only person on all four Rockets coaching staffs to advance to the NBA Finals, as Houston finished second in 1981 and 1986 before winning consecutive titles in 1994 and 1995. Dawson has coached several NBA All-Stars throughout his years with the Rockets, including
Elvin Hayes,
Moses Malone,
Hakeem Olajuwon,
Ralph Sampson and Tomjanovich.
A graduate of Baylor, Dawson began his coaching career as an assistant and then the head coach at his alma mater. He has been honored with induction into the Paris Junior College Hall of Fame, the Baylor University Hall of Fame, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Dawson also serves as the Houston Comets Executive Vice President of Basketball, as he selected Coach Van Chancellor,
Sheryl Swoopes and
Cynthia Cooper for the four-time WNBA Champions
Houston Comets.
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Rockets Acquire Norris & Baker
HOUSTON – The
Houston Rockets have acquired forward/center
Vin Baker, guard
Martyn "Moochie" Norris and a future second-round pick from the
New York Knicks in exchange for forward
Maurice "Mo" Taylor, Rockets GM
Carroll Dawson announced today.
Baker is averaging 1.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 24 games with New York this season. The 11-year veteran comes to Houston with career averages of 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 780 games with Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and New York. The 6-11, 240-pound forward earned NBA All-Star selections in four-straight seasons from 1995-1998. He also earned All-NBA Second Team recognition in 1998 after being named to the All-NBA Third Team the previous season.
Norris returns to Houston after averaging 2.6 points and 1.1 assists in 32 games with New York this season. The 6-1, 185-pound guard has averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 assists in 394 career games with Vancouver, Seattle, Houston and New York. The Rockets traded Norris to New York on Dec. 30 of last season in exchange for Clarence Weatherspoon. During his previous stay in Houston, Norris averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 assists in 306 games, appearing in each of the last 304 games with the Rockets.
Hamilton, who was acquired in the trade with
Mike James from the
Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the day, was waived to make room on the roster for the newly acquired Baker and Norris.
The Rockets roster now stands at 15 players: Baker,
Andre Barrett,
Jon Barry,
Ryan Bowen,
Juwan Howard,
Mike James,
Tracy McGrady,
Dikembe Mutombo, Norris,
Scott Padgett,
Bob Sura,
Charlie Ward,
David Wesley,
Clarence Weatherspoon and
Yao Ming.
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Rockets Acquire James & Hamilton
HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets have acquired guard
Mike James and forward
Zendon Hamilton from the
Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard
Reece Gaines and two future second-round draft picks, Rockets GM
Carroll Dawson announced today.
"Mike is a talented point guard who gives us another offensive threat," said Dawson. "We’ve been interested in Mike for some time now, and we really like the defensive toughness that he brings."
After signing with Milwaukee this offseason, James ranked third on the Bucks with a career-high 11.4 points per game and second on the team with 3.9 assists per game. The 6-2, 188-pound guard also stood second on Milwaukee with 58 3-pointers made and 152 3-pointers attempted for a 3-point percentage of .382. He set career highs with 28 points, eight 3-pointers made and 13 3-pointers attempted on Feb. 8 vs. Boston. He delivered a career-high 11 assists on Nov. 23 at the Lakers. Among NBA players without a start, he trails only Seattle’s Vladimir Radmanovic in scoring average. In 47 games, James led the Bucks in points six times and assists 13 times. He has scored in double figures 28 times, reaching 20 points on five occasions.
In his fourth NBA season, James holds averages of 8.8 points, 3.6 assists and 0.93 steals in 211 career games with Miami, Boston, Detroit and Milwaukee. James began his NBA career as an undrafted free agent with the Heat, for whom he averaged 7.0 points and 2.8 assists in 93 games over a two-year stretch. Prior to last season, he signed as a free agent with Boston, where he averaged 10.7 points and 4.4 assists over the first 55 games of the year. James was traded at midseason of last year to Detroit, where he averaged 6.3 points and won an NBA Championship.
Hamilton is averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds with Milwaukee this season. The 6-11, 254-pound forward has averaged 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 122 career games with the LA Clippers, Denver, Toronto, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
Gaines leaves the Rockets with averages of 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10 games with Houston. After arriving in a seven-player offseason trade with Orlando on June 29, the 6-6, 205-pound guard spent time on the injured list with left foot, plantar fasciitis from Nov. 1-Dec. 2, left ankle tendinitis from Dec. 15-26 and left patellar tendinitis from Jan. 16-Feb. 24.
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Rockets Acquire David Wesley
The
Houston Rockets have acquired veteran guard
David Wesley from the
New Orleans Hornets in exchange for forwards
Jim Jackson and
Bostjan Nachbar, Rockets GM
Carroll Dawson announced today. Wesley joins the Rockets with career averages of 13.3 points, 4.8 assists and 1.46 steals in 789 NBA games.
“The addition of David solidifies our backcourt,” said Dawson. “David can play both guard positions and has proven himself as a consistent and effective scorer with very good ball-handling skills. It is never easy parting with players such as Bostjan and Jimmy but in this league you have to give up quality players in order to get quality players.”
Wesley averaged 13.9 points (133-342) and 4.2 assists while starting in all 26 games for the Hornets this season. Wesley led the Hornets in points (361), assists (109), steals (35) and 3-PT shots made (28). His season highlights include a 23-point performance at Charlotte on Dec. 14th and a 10-assist night at Milwaukee on Nov. 13th.
Wesley began his NBA career by signing with the New Jersey Nets for the 1993-94 season as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor. The following season, he signed with the Boston Celtics as an unrestricted free agent where he played for three seasons (1994-97) before signing as a free agent with the Hornets. Wesley played the past 8-plus years for the Hornets and leaves as the organization’s all-time leader in games started (517) and ranks second behind Dell Curry in total career points (7,670) and 3-Point FGs made (644).
Jackson was averaging 13.3 points, 3.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in 24 starts for the Rockets this season. Nachbar averaged 3.1 points, .6 assists and 1.5 rebounds while seeing action in 16 games, including two starts.
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Familiar Faces
While the Rockets added eight NBA veterans this offseason, many of these newcomers have been teammates before. Of the 14 Rockets with NBA experience, five began last season with Houston, four started last year with Orlando and three opened the 2003-2004 campaign with New York.
Yao Ming,
Bostjan Nachbar,
Maurice Taylor,
Jim Jackson and
Scott Padgett began last year with the Rockets.
Tracy McGrady,
Tyronn Lue,
Juwan Howard and
Reece Gaines played for the Magic last season, while
Dikembe Mutombo,
Charlie Ward and
Clarence Weatherspoon started the year with the Knicks. Howard also played with Ryan Bowen with the 2002-2003 Nuggets. Jackson previously teamed with Mutombo in Atlanta from 1999-2001 and with Weatherspoon in Philadelphia and Golden State during the 1997-98 season and again in Cleveland during the 2000-2001 campaign.
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Rockets Sign Ryan Bowen
The
Houston Rockets have signed free agent
Ryan Bowen, GM
Carroll Dawson announced today. The 6-9, 220-pound forward joins the Rockets after playing five seasons with the
Denver Nuggets.
"We are very fortunate to have signed Ryan," said Dawson. "During his five years in the league, Ryan has distinguished himself as a tireless worker and that has really defined his career to this point. He’s a strong defender who also brings us depth at the forward position."
Bowen has averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 298 career games with Denver. The University of Iowa product entered the NBA during the 1999-2000 season, as his hustle immediately made him a fan favorite in Denver. During the 2001-2002 season, Bowen averaged career highs of 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds with 1.00 steals in a career-high 75 games with Denver. Last season he averaged 0.9 points in 7.5 minutes with Denver.
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Rockets Acquire Dikembe Mutombo
The
Houston Rockets have acquired center
Dikembe Mutombo from the
Chicago Bulls in exchange for guards
Adrian Griffin,
Eric Piatkowski and
Mike Wilks, GM
Carroll Dawson announced today. Mutombo stands as the only four-time recipient of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
"With the addition of Dikembe, we have bolstered our interior defense and rebounding," Dawson said. "Dikembe has had a long distinguished career, but can still contribute on a nightly basis. We feel fortunate to be adding him to our team."
Mutombo has averaged 11.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.22 blocked shots in 929 career games with Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York. In NBA history, the 7-2, 265-pound center ranks fourth all-time with 2,996 blocked shots, trailing only
Hakeem Olajuwon,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and
Mark Eaton. His career average of 3.22 blocks ranks third in NBA history behind Eaton and
Manute Bol. He also ranks 24th all-time with 10,907 rebounds. Among active players, Mutombo trails only
Tim Duncan and
Shaquille O’Neal in career rebounding average and just
Karl Malone and
Kevin Willis in career rebounds.
In 13 NBA seasons, Mutombo has finished among the league's top five in rebounding average nine times and blocked shots per game 11 times. He became the first player in NBA history to claim three-straight blocked shots crowns, leading the league in rejections for three consecutive seasons beginning with the 1993-94 campaign. Mutombo also stands as one of seven players in league history to win consecutive rebounding titles, accomplishing this during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons.
The NBA has recognized Mutombo for his accomplishments on numerous occasions. The eight-time All-Star received selection to the All-NBA Second Team in 2001 and the All-NBA Third Team in 1998 and 2002. Aside from winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001, he earned selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1997, 1998 and 2001 and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1995, 1999 and 2002. He began his career with an appearance on the 1992 NBA All-Rookie First Team. Mutombo also received the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award in 2001.
Mutombo started his career with five seasons in Denver, where he averaged a career-high 16.6 points as a rookie with the 1991-92 Nuggets. After averaging a career-high 4.49 blocks for his third-straight blocked shots title, Mutombo signed with Atlanta prior to the 1996-97 season. He played four-and-a-half seasons with the Hawks, averaging a career-high 14.1 rebounds during the 1999-2000 season. During the 2000-2001 season, Philadelphia traded for Mutombo, who immediately helped the 76ers advance to the 2001 NBA Finals. Mutombo averaged a double-double in each of his first 11 NBA seasons with Denver, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Over the last two years, Mutombo has played a season each with the Nets and the Knicks.
The Rockets roster now stands at 13 players:
Reece Gaines,
Juwan Howard,
Jim Jackson,
Tyronn Lue,
Tracy McGrady, Mutombo,
Bostjan Nachbar,
Scott Padgett,
Bob Sura,
Maurice Taylor,
Charlie Ward,
Clarence Weatherspoon and
Yao Ming.