Article
Quote:
With their preseason schedule complete, the Rockets returned to practice on Saturday without center Jackie Butler and guard John Lucas III who are expected to be placed on waivers on Monday.
Lucas had been considered likely to be released or traded since the Rockets acquired Mike James and drafted Aaron Brooks in June, with the Rockets working to deal him since early July. Butler's prospects, however, were much less certain.
Acquired from San Antonio in the trade for forward Luis Scola, Butler would have been the third center, behind Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo. At just 22-years-old, he was thought to be a project that could develop and insurance in the event of injuries to Yao, who has missed large portions of the past two seasons, and Mutombo, the NBA's oldest player at 41-years-old.
With the expected release of Lucas and Butler, the Rockets would have 17 players on the roster, including Bob Sura who is not with the team. In addition to Sura, they will have to trim one more player by the Monday deadline to be at the roster limit of 15 players.
|
We will be down to 17 players on the team. Sura is still here by the way. I don't think we are going to move him. He is likely to be a dead weight for another season in my opinion. I don't really like to cut Butler because it will be nice to have a backup center in case Yao or Deke goes down. Then again, Scola is more likely to play 5 if this happens.
I don't really know what Morey is doing. I think he should ship JLIII to Sacramento for a second round draft pick or cash consideration since Mike Bibby has an injury wrist and wont be back for 10-12 weeks, and they will like to have a backup PG.