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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.
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.
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.
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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.
Michael Scotto: Breaking: The Houston Rockets intend to sign Jae'Sean Tate to a one-year, $3 million deal, league sources told @hoopshype. CAA representatives Austin Brown, Max Saidman, Shakira Wardally, and Aaron Mintz worked with Rockets officials to negotiate the deal.
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As the Rockets brass continue to maneuver through offseason mode — conducting draft workouts, tying up loose ends with exit interviews and prepping for a pivotal summer — they’ll need to address several key potential free agents on the roster. Veterans Steven Adams, Jeff Green and Jae’Sean Tate will be unrestricted free agents as of June 30 — but of the trio, Adams is seen as the clear priority, team sources told The Athletic.
Danielle Lerner: Jae’Sean Tate, who is still listed as out tonight (right ankle impingement) and has yet to be available in the playoffs, is taking shots on the court for the first time I’ve seen this postseason.
Danielle Lerner: Rockets center Jock Landale (OUT, knee contusion) is doing some return to play conditioning on the court in San Francisco. He could be available later on in the series. Jae’Sean Tate (OUT, ankle impingement) isn’t as far along. No word on when he might be cleared to play.
When he was 8, his mother, Cori Key, was murdered by her boyfriend in Toledo, Ohio. Tate couldn’t comprehend the senseless tragedy. He was angry for years. Therapy and anger management helped him resolve his feelings. So did the support of his paternal grandfather, Dwight Stewart, and his father and stepmother, Jermaine and Jenice Tate, who took him in and raised him in nearby Pickerington. Devastation brought determination. Growing up in a house with three younger siblings, Tate, who is now the oldest of eight children, said he strived to be a role model for his brothers and sisters.
