Rockets will sign Dexter Pittman, per source. Will waive Greg Smith.

I've seen him play several times with the Toros this year and he is a big wide body but not fat and jiggly. Surprisingly athletic for such a big guy he still suffered from some conditioning issues but had an impact when on the floor.

I doubt he'll see any floor time for the Rockets but is at least a healthy insurance chip that Greg was not able to provide this year.

 

He was waived before the deadline for eligibility. (late March, I believe).

 

Thank you good sir

 

Sucks that the Rockets lost Greg Smith, but even if he was healthy I don't see many opportunities for him on this team.

He would be playing behind Dwight/Asik or Jones/D-Mo.

 

Love ya Greg Smith, but your injury man.

 

This is a move for the Rockets to potentially look at options for backups next year as well. Pittman I'm sure is a long way away from being a lock to be a contributing member of the Houston Rockets. I'm sure there are more than a few other bigs Morey will look to bring to camp next year to prepare for what happens after Asik is gone.

The Smith move was probably more contractual move than anything. He's set to either be a restricted free agent (if Smith rejects the qualifying offer of a little over a million dollars) where the Rockets would either be letting him walk or matching an offer too high for a potential 3rd or 4th string under-sized backup 5. If he accepted the qualifying offer, I believe his salary becomes fully guaranteed for next year.

With Pittman's contract it looks like he can be waived at any point next year. So its a less risky contract if they want to bring him into training camp, and potentially waive him where he wont eat up any cap space. If Smith accepts his qualifying offer, and you have to waive him, you just knocked a million bucks off the salary cap.

Or at least that's the way I read it. Its very little risk financially either way, but I'm sure the Rockets prepare for everything that might happen next year with trades and free agency.

 

pittman will stay on the roster as 2nd backup or 3rd center insurance next year.

 

or as salary match for a trade (the most likely scenario if he isn't waived).

 

Look for Omer to get some rest over the next week. He needs it and I think this move was made with that in mind.

 

LOL and you know this how? Is this what Morey told you personally bruh?

 

The big question is if we can use him to manhandle Griffin/Ibaka.

 

He's got a long road ahead of him to prove before you can make that guarantee-

Keep this in mind:

-The Rockets will bring 18 to 20 players into training camp in 2014
-The current roster locks (as it would seem now, and not counting any potential trades this Summer)

PG: Bev, Lin, Canaan
SG: Harden, Garcia, Daniels
SF: Parsons, Covington
PF: Jones, D-Mo
C: Howard, Asik

+2 rookies

(Note that I believe personally Hamilton is gone. I doubt they bring him back due to his contract)

That's 14 players on a 15 man roster, but Morey/McHale will have potentially SIX players fighting for that last spot-

Casspi?, Pittman?, & 2 to 4 other non-guaranteed players (possibly other bigs to challenge Pittman).

-So there is a high likelihood that even if Pittman is kept on the roster for next year, he's going to have a hell of a time competing for his roster spot against 2 to 4 other players who are just as hungry.

Also, I wouldn't rule out the Rockets being overwhelmed by another prospect that plays the wing or guard position that they choose over Pittman as well, and either rely on D-Mo as the 3rd string Center, or a newly drafted rookie.

 

Most likely not. The guy is a scrub with a big body. He is there as an insurance policy and someone we can use to foul someone. With his size, hopefully he will make sure the opposing player FEELS the fouls. I don't want to see any tick tack fouls if that's a player's only real role.

 

More like manhandle DeAndre and Perk. That's who you want on the line.

 

d0es dexter come with a kill room?

 

The problem I have is twofold:
- Why cut Greg now?
- If we were going after some1, why not a better FA??

 

Is he a suitable backup for beverly tho?

Amidoinitright?

 

1. Because his spot is never important until now, because we may have 2-3 games which will be totally meaningless and need some bodies to fill out some garbage minutes, we are talking about the backups for backups.

2. Someone better? like whom? whom is better (bigs) that will be willing to play for a 10 days contract at the end of the season only for 2-3 garbage time games?

 

A practice squad. The team needs a big body for a practice. One more predication, he is a former UT player. Morey seems to try to collect as many as former UT players to attract Kevin Durant.

 

this one time at the jester wendy's at UT, i sat close to him and saw him pointing at three girls, telling his buddy he banged all three of them at the same time.

true story