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VanVleet exercised his $25 million player option for next season, which is also the final year of his two-year contract. The Rockets also signed veteran guards Marcus Smart and Bojan Bogdanovic for insurance and depth. Those three guards will allow Thompson and sharpshooter Reed Sheppard to play off the ball more. VanVleet has been working out daily and is close to being on “the court full time, ramping up, feeling good.” He also told Andscape he is confident he will be ready to play in the Rockets’ first preseason game next season, and he “feels like a rookie again.”
ClutchFans: Rockets GM Rafael Stone NBA Summer League interview: - Really likes rookie Bruce Thornton - the unique build, physicality, shotmaking and ability to take care of the ball. Test will be if he can translate that to the next level. - Very excited about Marcus Smart's versatility. "Feels like a Rocket so I'm glad we could finally make it happen." He says he's happy with him defending any position, including at center. - Loves the defensive switchability options the Rockets now have with Smart, Jabari, Tari and Amen. - Wants to take the minutes load off of Kevin Durant this season. - Says Reed Sheppard has "put on a ton of good weight, a bunch of muscle."
Varun Shankar: Rafael Stone spoke to media for ~8 minutes. Couple big takeaways - As of right now, everyone is on track to be a full go at training camp - Wanted to add more ballhandling/passing, felt like they did that w Bogi and Smart - Guesstimated that Reed Sheppard added ~10 pounds
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Shams Charania: Free agent guard Marcus Smart has agreed on a two-year, $13 million deal with the Houston Rockets, plus a player option for the second season, sources tell ESPN. The former Defensive Player of the Year reunites with Ime Udoka for significant opportunity in the Rockets backcourt.
Bobby Marks: Contract does not hard cap Houston at the first apron, thus giving themselves flexibility to bring back restricted forward Tari Eason. Houston is $28.5M below the second apron hard cap.
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Yossi Gozlan: The Rockets will need to shed payroll if they're going to sign Marcus Smart to a three-year deal with a portion of their mid-level exception and re-sign Tari Eason while staying under the first apron hard cap. Dorian Finney-Smith has been mentioned as a potential cap casualty.
The Houston Rockets have significant interest in free agent guard Marcus Smart and are expected to work out a deal in the three-year, $21 million range that would reunite him with head coach Ime Udoka, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. Such a deal would fall within the taxpayer mid-level exception threshold.
