Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Appearing on the Buckets Don't Stop podcast, the veteran guard claimed he sees himself as a perfect fit and a crucial piece for the Houston Rockets. "I'd love to go to Rockets," Dinwiddie said. "I'd love to go to Rockets. One of my best NBA friends, Dorian Finney-Smith, is on the Rockets. And I think, the [Fred] VanVleet injury really hurt them. I think they have all the makings of having that championship-type team. "They have young talent in [Jabari] Smith Jr. and [Amen] Thompson. They got a great post up threat and creator in [Alperen] Sengun. You got an all-time, all-world scorer in [Kevin Durant]. And I think [I'm] a guard that can go in there, catch and shoot off of Sengun and KD, set the table in terms of just taking some of the thought process of, setting the table in terms of KD and Sengun just letting them score.
Houston, according to team sources, has had discussions with around half the league — with more incoming and outgoing calls expected over the next 10 days as the Feb. 5 trade deadline draws closer — but doesn't have any firm offer in either direction that is cause for serious internal discussion. What they do have is an understanding of what they are willing to do and an inkling of what teams want. For instance, the Rockets received a number of calls surrounding Tari Eason prior to him becoming a starter, sources say — as well as inquiries on summer additions Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela — but nothing, as mentioned earlier, was concrete.
Shams Charania: Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith will make his season debut today against the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell me and @mcten . Finney-Smith will be on a strict minutes restriction as he returns from offseason ankle surgery to face the Lakers team he left in free agency.
The Rockets have upgraded Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery) to questionable for Christmas Day’s game against LA Lakers. Alperen Sengun (left calf tightness) and Jae’Sean Tate (left wrist contusion) are also questionable.
Michael Shapiro: Two @HoustonRockets injury updates - Dorian Finney-Smith now “starting to ramp it up,” with live action in practice. Houston eyes January return for DFS Finney-Smith hasn’t played in 2025-26 after ankle surgery - Houston hopes Tari Eason (oblique) returns late this month
Advertisement
Danielle Lerner: Rockets coach Ime Udoka on next steps for Dorian Finney-Smith: “Just continue to ramp it up. He's getting non-contact work in, and got to see how the ankle responds to an increase in the load there. And so don't really have a timeline.”
Danielle Lerner: Rockets center Steven Adams (left hip flexor tightness) is questionable again for Friday’s game in San Antonio after he sat out last game in Memphis. Rest of the injury report is as expected: Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith remain out (surgery recovery).
Despite VanVleet's absence, Houston still ranks first in the league in offensive efficiency. The Rockets do, however, find themselves in the bottom 10 in assist to turnover ratio. As for what a possible return for Morant could look like, one team executive ESPN talked to pointed to the 2023 trade that sent Kyrie Irving from the Nets to the Dallas Mavericks. In that deal, the Nets received Spencer Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two second-rounders.
Danielle Lerner: Ime Udoka said Jae’Sean Tate did contact drills in practice today. Rockets still hoping he’ll be ready for opening night. Dorian Finney-Smith is not there yet, Udoka said he’s “a bit behind” Tate.
Danielle Lerner: Rockets coach Ime Udoka said he expects all rotation players except Jae'Sean Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith (injury recovery) to play in two remaining preseason games. Starters will ramp up minutes closer to 30. Lineups and rotations will be different than in the first two games.
Advertisement
Danielle Lerner: Jae’Sean Tate is still ramping up after his ankle injury last postseason and won’t play for the Rockets in preseason. Tate is doing non-contact but is ahead of Dorian Finney-Smith in his recovery. Ime Udoka said he hopes Tate will be ready for the regular-season opener.
The Rockets could make a trade to fill VanVleet's absence; they have five tradeable firsts, including an unprotected 2027 Phoenix first and two of the more favorable 2029 firsts of their own, Suns and Mavericks. They also have the right to swap firsts with Brooklyn in 2027. However, what the Rockets lack is tradeable contracts. The eight players Houston signed this summer -- VanVleet, Steven Adams, Finney-Smith, Holiday, Jae'Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Josh Okogie and Capela -- cannot be traded until mid-December. Holiday and Tate have the right to approve any trade. Meanwhile, Smith signed a rookie extension and has a poison pill restriction. It has been nearly 17 years since a player with a poison pill restriction has been traded.
But Fred VanVleet still has a no-trade clause because of the two-year deal he signed, Kelly. So my question for you is: Fred has a $25 million deal — that’s a very tradable number — but he has the no-trade clause. Do you have any indication or any insight into whether he’d be willing to waive that no-trade clause? Because that would be the piece they’d want to move, right?" Kelly Iko: "Yeah — not at this time. I don’t. I think it’s still pretty raw in their minds. I talked to them the other day, and they said, 'Look, this is the bed that we made. If we’re going into the season, these are the guys we’re going to battle with.' Come December, you might have different conversations. Clint Capela is making a team-friendly salary — you could see something happen with that. But outside of that, these are the guys they want in the rotation. Ime Udoka specifically handcrafted this roster, right? His identity is length, versatility, and size on the perimeter. You’ve got Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie, guys like Jae’Sean Tate — you want to have as many of those guys as possible.
