Derek Fisher Bought Out By Rockets; LeBron James Chimes In

Now that Derek Fisher is officially a free agent after being bought out by the Rockets, the next question is if and where he will resume his NBA career.

One team that may be in need of a veteran guard is the Miami Heat, and star forward LeBron James was asked about the possibility of adding Fisher on Monday, "One thing you know about Derek Fisher is that he's a winner; he's not afraid of the moment and he's won multiple championships. I don't know what our plans are but I don't see it as a bad fit it if happens. What we have we're comfortable with, but he could fit anyone's team because of his leadership and his commitment to winning."

Fisher, a 15-year NBA veteran, was struggling through one of his worst seasons in his career with the Lakers, averaging just 5.9 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting in 2011-2012. He's a respected veteran league-wide, and played an active role in helping to settle the labor dispute that led to the NBA lockout during this past offseason.

For up-to-date information on the Rockets, check out The Dream Shake and for more on the NBA head on over to SB Nation's NBA hub.

Derek Fisher Needs To See 'If Heart Is Still In It' To Play In NBA

Derek Fisher who was acquired by the Houston Rockets from the Los Angeles Lakers and then was subsequently bought out is not sure what is future holds. TNT's David Aldridge is reporting that Fisher is not sure what his future holds:

Source tells me Derek Fisher not sure what the next move after buyout, has to see if his "heart is still in it." Hopes to clear waivers Wed.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) March 19, 2012

Fisher is a 15-year NBA veteran who prior being traded to the Rockets had started every game for the Los Angeles Lakers, so there should be some interest from contending teams who want a reliable veteran player. However, being in the league for 15 years maybe Fisher will decide to hang it up if he is not into the game anymore.

For up-to-date information on the Rockets, check out The Dream Shake and for more on the NBA head on over to SB Nation's NBA hub.

Derek Fisher Reportedly Reaches Buyout Agreement With Houston Rockets

The move that was predicted a couple of days ago has now come through with the report from Adrian Wojnarowski that Derek Fisher has reached a buyout agreement with the Houston Rockets. His surprising trade to the resulted in the Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen predicting this would happen, but it took a few days to come to fruition. Now Fisher should have his freedom.

Yahoo! Sports’ Wojnarowski writes, “Fisher will likely have a deal with a contender soon. A new rule in the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t allow him to get bought out after a trade and re-sign with the Lakers this season. Fisher had a $3.4 million player option on his 2012-13 contract.”

Fisher is a 15-year NBA veteran who had started every game this season for the L.A. Lakers before the trade. Is it possible he goes back to Los Angeles? Expect something to happen soon enough as teams try to bolster their roster for the stretch run before the playoffs.

For up-to-date information on the Rockets, check out The Dream Shake.

NBA Trade Deadline: Rockets Waive Terrence Williams, Expected To Buy Out Derek Fisher Contract

The Houston Rockets have cut ties with guard Terrence Williams, according to a report by Jonathan Feigen. This is a move that seemed to be a long-time coming, considering Williams' struggles to fit into the Rockets system both on and off the floor. Williams averaged just 4.5 points in a limited 15.1 minutes a game this season.

Rockets waive Terrence Williams.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 16, 2012

Feigen also reported that Derek Fisher may never play a game in a Rockets uniform, as his contracted is expected to be bought out by the team. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey would not even speak on the Fisher situation, according to Feigen.

Morey will not address Derek Fisher. Expect buyout.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 16, 2012

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NBA Trade Deadline: Reactions On Houston's Deals Positive

NBA Trade Deadline: Analyzing What The Houston Rockets Pulled Off

It took them up until the trade deadline, but the Houston Rockets made a couple of nice, low-level moves on Thursday.

NBA Trade Deadline: Rockets Acquire Derek Fisher, No. 1 Pick For Jordan Hill

The Houston Rockets continued an extremely active trade deadline shopping spree Thursday, acquiring Derek Fisher and a first-round pick from the LA Lakers for Jordan Hill:

Let's fix this: The Lakers have traded Derek Fisher and a 2012 first-round pick (via Dallas) for Jordan Hill, league sources tell Y!

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 15, 2012

While Fisher is the big name in the trade, it's likely Houston's real interest was in the first-round pick, which the Lakers acquired from the Dallas Mavericks as a part of the Lamar Odom deal.

The Rockets were rumored to be shopping for first-rounders to take advantage of the 2012 draft, widely considered the deepest class of prospects since 2008 if not 2003.

Hill, a 2009 lottery pick of the New York Knicks, has never developed his game to match his athletic ability at 6'10 235, and he was made expendable by the acquisition of Marcus Camby earlier on Thursday.

Fisher, the president of the NBA Player's Association who helped win five championships in his time in LA, is one of the most respected players in the league, but at the age of 37, he's unlikely to get many minutes in Houston behind Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic.

NBA Trade Rumors: Blazers Trade Marcus Camby To Rockets

That's the word right now out of Yahoo! Sports. According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet are heading to Portland.

NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets Actively Searching For First Round Picks

With the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Houston Rockets are reportedly actively searching for first round picks in the 2012 draft:

Rockets shopping for first round draft picks, sources say. Still looking to make a significant move.

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) March 15, 2012

It's understandable why Houston, one of the best drafting teams in the NBA in Darryl's Morey time as a GM, would want more picks in the 2012 draft, which is widely considered one of the deepest in the last decade.

Not only was the freshman class in college basketball incredibly strong this year, but many of the top players in the country returned to school to avoid dealing with the NBA lockout.

However, it remains to be seen what the Rockets, who have unexpectedly positioned themselves to make the playoffs this year despite the seeming disaster that was the Pau Gasol veto before the season began, will be willing to give up.

NBA Trade Rumors: Stephen Jackson Heading Back To Spurs?

NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Getting Ramon Sessions, Don't Need Kyle Lowry?

NBA Trade Rumors: Jonny Flynn Is Very Available

After playing in only 11 games for the Houston Rockets this season, third-string PG Jonny Flynn, whom they acquired as part of a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is apparently being actively shopped in the hours before the trade deadline:

On point guard front, becoming less likely Eric Bledsoe will be moving, sources say. Rockets still listening to offers for Jonny Flynn.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) March 15, 2012

Flynn, a 6'0 185 PG, was the No. 6 overall selection out of Syracuse in 2009. But after starting 81 games for Minnesota as a rookie, he quickly fell out of favor with the Timberwolves front office.

He's one of many lottery picks Houston GM Darryl Morey has acquired in recent years in an effort to back-door his way into a star player to replace the retired Yao Ming. But while Flynn still has a lottery pedigree that will give him another shot in the NBA, it's looking increasingly likely that it won't be with the Rockets, who have two entrenched young PG's -- Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic -- ahead of him.

NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets, Lakers And Cavs Talking Three-Team Deal

The Houston Rockets are in trade discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers about a three-team deal that would send Ramon Sessions to the Lakers, Jonny Flynn to Cleveland and a Lakers first-round draft pick to Houston, according to a report by Chris Broussard. Cleveland, however, will not go through with the deal unless it gets a first-round pick for Sessions.

"If the Cavaliers trade Sessions, they are likely to make a deal for Flynn. Cleveland is one of the more popular teams this week, as clubs are calling the Cavs about being a third-team facilitator in trades. The Cavs are also in talks with New Orleans about a move that would send Antawn Jamison and his $15 million expiring contract to the Hornets for Emeka Okafor and Minnesota's first-round pick." - Chris Broussard

For much of the season, the main trade pursuit for the Rockets has been for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, but those trade rumors have been dwindled. With the friction between Houston's leading scorer Kevin Martin and first year head coach Kevin McHale, Martin could be on the trading block if anyone is interested.

For more on the Houston Rockets, check out The Dream Shake blog.

NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets In On Dwight Howard And Then Not In

Notes on Dwight Howard, Courtney Lee, Mike D'Antoni and the three-team trade with the Lakers, Portland and Minnesota.

NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony On The Market

Yup, with a little over 24 hours remaining until the trade deadline, we've got a new (though not entirely unexpected) entry into the trading pool: New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

At least, that's according to Marc Berman of the New York Post this morning. See, 'Melo doesn't really like MIke D'Antoni and when he wasn't fired after the playoff loss last year, problems arose. Oh, and then, the guy who went and got him, Donnie Walsh, retired. That meant Glenn Grunwald was promoted to the GM job and he's good friends with D'Antoni, meaning the coach isn't getting fired soon.

Add to that problems with Jeremy Lin and Amare' Stoudamire and, well, it looks like Anthony is trying hard to leave the place he just tried so hard to get to in the first place.

Would a trade with the Rockets work? It depends on if the Knicks would want to take Kevin Martin in exchange. I imagine Martin could thrive in D'Antoni's uptempo style, but a guy like Luis Scola doesn't make sense for them and with Baron Davis and Jeremy Lin, the Knicks don't need either Kyle Lowry or Goran Dragic. So, does Martin, Courtney Lee and one of the Budinger-Hill-TWill-Patterson group interest the Knicks? I'm thinking probably not.

For more NBA trade rumor news, check out the SB Nation NBA site and our own Rockets rumors at the StoryStream here. And for up-to-date Rockets coverage, check out The Dream Shake.

NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets Out On Bogut, Warriors, Bucks Agree To Trade

NBA Trade Rumors: Bulls Enter Pau Gasol Sweepstakes

Looks like the Rockets have company in the chase for Pau Gasol.

NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Talk About Andrew Bogut?

NBA Trade Rumors: Would Rockets Pick Up Hornet's Lotto Pick?

NBA Trade Deadline 2012: Rockets Could Pursue Pau Gasol One Last Time

The Houston Rockets quite famously -- or infamously, at this point -- attempted to land the services of Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol before the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season began. They were a part of a proposed three-team deal with Los Angeles and the New Orleans Hornets that would have brought Gasol to Houston and sent Chris Paul to the Lakers. That deal, of course, was denied by NBA Commissioner David Stern, but it appears as though the Rockets will have one more chance to get their man as the trade deadline draws near.

SB Nation's own Tom Ziller took a look at the wants and needs of the Houston Rockets, as well as potential targets.

A frontcourt star is the major target, with Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and Kevin Martin -- the Gasol package -- apparently in play. Of course, one acquisition there creates a hole elsewhere, especially with regards to Martin. Houston does have the Knicks' first-round draft pick unless New York slips into the lottery and wins a miraculous top-5 pick. That should end up right around No. 16 or so. Houston's own pick will be closer to No. 20, but so long as the Rockets make the playoffs it will be headed to the New Jersey Nets (Terrence Williams trade, huzzah!). Houston has already traded its 2013 first-round pick (lotto protected) for Donatas Motiejunas and, uh, Jonny Flynn; it should receive Memphis' 2013 as a result of the Hasheem Thabeet-Shane Battier trade. Short version: draft picks aren't really in play for Houston.

Houston could be an intriguing third team in a Dwight Howard deal, especially if the Nets are involved since additional assets are needed. I fail to see how Houston can land a star in such a deal, but the Rockets always seem to be willing to get in the mix with assets at stake.

No one on the Houston roster can be deemed "untouchable," but Kyle Lowry is pretty close, one would imagine.

Time will tell whether the Rockets will finally be able to land Gasol, but there is a possibility it could happen very soon.

For all news and information regarding the Houston Rockets, please visit The Dream Shake.

NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets Spoke To Timberwolves About Michael Beasley

According to FOX Sports' Sam Amico, the Houston Rockets have spoken to the Minnesota Timberwolves about a possible trade for Michael Beasley, who the Wolves are likely looking to move the forward and his $6.2 million price tag to make room for up-and-coming forward Derrick Williams.

According to multiple FOX Sports Ohio sources, the Wolves have already spoken with New Jersey, Houston and the L.A. Lakers about Beasley. While both teams are said to still be open to a deal, it appears Beasley's most likely landing spot, for the time being, is Boston.

Beasley is in his fourth season in the NBA, his second with the Timberwolves, and is averaging a career low 12.8 points per game and a career low of 5.3 rebounds per game. He's only 23 years old and could help a team, like the Rockets, in the second half of the 2012 season, but he also has some past off-court issues that could scare some teams away.

For more on the Rockets, head to The Dream Shake.

Rockets Schedule 2012: Can Houston Keep Winning With Trade Deadline Looming?

In just seventeen days the NBA's trade deadline will be upon us. In a season that has been a whirling dervish of basketball games being played left and right, with a championship in the balance teams could look to wheel and deal left and right as well. The Houston Rockets are poised to make a move in hopes of making a playoff run this spring.

The Rockets have coveted a big man for awhile now and the entire league knows it. While the hopes of Dwight Howard playing in H-Town hasn't been on the top of people's mind, its not out of the question. Others have focused on the opportunity of rekindling the talks with Lakers big man Pau Gasol so he can play in the 832 area code. Would Kevin Martin be enough trade bait, or would picks and the taking on of lengthy contracts be attractive enough to make a deal.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Kevin McHale have decisions to make, and the countdown has already begun. Here is the Rockets schedule for the next 5 games, including big games versus the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday evening.

For more news and notes on the NBA head on over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page. For more updates on the Houston Rockets head on over to The Dream Shake.

NBA Trade Rumors: Could Pau Gasol End Up In Houston After All?

With All-Star Weekend, the traditional half-way point of the NBA season, over, trade rumors are beginning to heat up around the league.

Over at NBA.com, Sam Smith, one of the most well-connected reporters in the industry, is reporting that Pau Gasol may still wind up with the Houston Rockets:

Pau Gasol: He probably has the best chance of being traded among the current and former All-Star players. The Lakers are woefully short in the backcourt and with depth and athleticism. He was in that aborted preseason deal to the Rockets, and their interest is said to remain the most significant. The deal that's been most speculated is Gasol for Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry. The Rockets are said to be high on Goran Dragic and Jonny Flynn to replace Lowry, and the Lakers desperately need a point guard under Mike Brown's system. This is a deal, denied for now, that benefits both teams and seems likely to be made.

While Kyle Lowry has come into his own as a legitimate front-line PG this season, a deal with only him and Luis Scola isn't all that imposing a package for a 31-year old Hall of Fame bound 7'0, and if the Lakers really are considering that deal, they'll be bombarded with calls from 25 other NBA teams over the next two weeks.

Everyone thought the Lakers made out like bandits when they acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, but as it turns out, they had to give up an All-Star center (his younger brother Marc) to get him.

Either way, it's unlikely LA makes a move with Gasol until they figure out where they stand in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, as it's unclear whether Orlando will end up pulling the trigger on moving their franchise player before the deadline.

NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Martin Says Mention Of His Unhappiness Is 'Inappropriate'

Kevin Martin says he and the Houston Rockets make a happy pair. Unfortunately, rumors to the contrary are swirling and have the Rockets possibly looking to ship their star guard.

Specifically, Martin went on record about this report saying he was unhappy. Martin, who is averaging 18 points per game this season, says that’s just not true. Not only this, but it’s damaging to the team.

“I think it’s an inappropriate article,” Martin told the Houston Chronicle. “A writer must be starving for attention. He’s not going to bring a distraction around our team. I’m the team’s leading scorer, and we’re in the playoff hunt. I don’t understand how I could not be happy about that. Basically, he’s just making it up. Individually and team-wise, we’re doing pretty well.”

For now the Rockets are doing well and should not look to break anything up unless the deal is too good to pass on. They are 20-14 and an unexpected third place in the Southwest. If the team starts to slip or someone really wants Martin in a deal, things could change. For now, don’t believe everything you read.

Internet Rumors Anger Kevin Martin