I'm curious about the recent flurry of roster building activity by the Vipers: Vipers acquire rights to Hamady N'Diaye in trade with Delaware Vipers Trade Gary Talton to Fort Wayne Mad Ants Vipers acquire Glen Rice, Jr. Vipers acquire Toure' Murry Vipers acquire Chris Johnson Given that the D-League showcase is later this week, when NBA scouts and GM's come to see potential trade "assets" in action, is it usual for a D-league team to go on such a roster remake? I don't quite understand how D-league rights pass up to affiliated NBA teams, but is there an angle here that the Rockets are exploiting to stock up on trade fillers somehow? It seems like a lot of activity in the week before of showcase.
Considering that they are only 9-12 and in last place in the divison, a few shake ups couldn't hurt. This is the worst team they've assembled in recent memory. The latest additions will potentially catapult them back into contender status immediately.
Thanks. So should I take it that you think it is unrelated to what may be going on with the Rockets and building up to the trade deadline? Others?
They've had more help with the Rockets sending players down there over the last couple of years. They really haven't left guys down there as long as they were a year or two ago
They are doing this for the Showcase. - The N'Diaye move is for the future. Wayns played with the Vipers last year, but his upside is nowhere near N'Diaye, who is a 7-foot athletic center. - The Rice and Murry moves were pretty much by fortune. They were released by their respective NBA teams last week. They cleared NBA waivers. They could have gone overseas or back to the D-League, but the Vipers hold their rights. So they returned to the D-League and therefore are back with the Vipers. Same thing with Chris Johnson, who was released by Philly in November and could have gone overseas or back to the D-League, where the Vipers held his rights. - The Talton trade was a curious one, but the Vipers essentially swapped a fourth-round pick for a first-rounder next year. Now they have two first-round picks in next year's draft. From a Rockets perspective, the only moves that hold direct bearing are reassigning Isaiah Canaan to the Vipers (to get more court time as he recovers from his injured ankle) and reassigning Capela and Nick Johnson down here, for development reasons. Only Canaan, Capela and Nick Johnson are tied to the Rockets. Any other Vipers player can be called up by any NBA team, including the Rockets.
They probably traded Talton so Nick Johnson and Canaan could run the floor when they were down there. Talton was putting up some great assist numbers, but that may be somewhat due to the system he was in. He also wasn't much of a shooter. I'm guessing by sending him to Fort Wayne, he still gets to play, whereas with Isaiah and Nick shuttling back and forth (or staying) with RGV, you sure don't want to bench them.