Robinson, 21, was the No. 5 pick in the 2012 draft. Seen as a scoring power forward when he entered the league, Robinson has been relegated to a reserve role behind a Sacramento front line that starts DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and John Salmons. Robinson is averaging 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.9 minutes. He spent three years at Kansas, where he averaged 18.7 points and 9.8 rebounds. Robinson was suspended for two games in November when he threw an elbow to the neck of Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko.

http://nba.si.com/2013/02/20/thomas-robinson-trade-kings-rockets/

"I want to be here,"
Hayes said. "This is home for me. This has been home for me for six
years. Houston is all I know. Houston is all I want to know."

Though the Rockets
have made no secret about their desire to find a center taller than
their shooting guard, Hayes has made a strong case for a place in the
mix.

His averages of 7.9
points, 2.7 assists and eight rebounds per game are career bests. His
defensive work has been sensational, frustrating stars young and old,
from Blake Griffin to Tim Duncan. He inspired coach Rick Adelman to
campaign for him to be on the All-Defense team.

But at 6-6, Hayes
can’t bring the rim protection the Rockets have lacked and seek. They
traded for Hasheem Thabeet, will sign rookie D-League player Marcus
Cousin, and said they would like to bring back Yao Ming if he is
healthy.
At power forward and
center, they have Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson, Brad Miller and Jordan
Hill signed. They’ll likely chase a center in free agency and expect to
have three draft picks in the top 40.
"The truth of the
matter is I am only 6-6," Hayes said. "They will need some size, a big
guy to play significant minutes. They have to do what they have to do.
My whole life I’ve had to beat the odds. The past couple years, I have. "
Hayes’ defensive abilities and offensive improvement have kept him in the Rockets’ plans.
"For sure Chuck fits
in," general manager Daryl Morey said. "We’re hoping to bring him back.
Obviously, he’s (going to be) a free agent. It’s going to be up to him
where he goes. We’re excited to work to bring him back."
Hayes kept himself
in the plans not despite his contractual status but because of the way
he responded to it. Where Aaron Brooks was offended and Shane Battier
was often anxious, Hayes became determined.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7516134.html

Though it has long been assumed Rockets center Yao Ming’s foot injury
and extensive surgery would prevent him from opting out of his contract
after this season, Yao said Saturday he was “not sure” if the
uncertainty with the NBA’s labor negotiations would lead him to become a
free agent this summer.
Yao, 29, said he has not considered his options, but was noncommittal about whether he might opt out of his contract.

“I’m sure I’m not sure until after we discuss (it),” Yao said. “We have not started (to) discuss it yet, so I’m not sure, either way. I have to talk to my agent first before we start to decide where I need to go. If you ask my agent, he will say, ‘I have to ask Yao and we will start discussing it.’”

Yao’s agent, John Huizinga, had no comment.

If Yao does not jump into the deep pool of 2010 free-agent talent, he is due to earn $17.7 million next season in the final year of his contract. The next collective bargaining agreement is expected to reduce the number of years and value of a maximum contract, making a contract signed this offseason potentially worth more than one signed in 2011.

But Yao is not expected to choose to become a free agent before making his comeback from his surgery or to seek to leave Houston.

But if the new collective bargaining agreement was to lead to a decision to become a free agent this summer, it could alter the Rockets’ strategies this summer by unexpectedly moving the Rockets under the salary cap with a right to retain Yao by exceeding the cap.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has often said he expects Yao to be with the Rockets next season under his contract and has made roster moves with that in mind.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6934385.html?%20utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+houstonchronicle/spbkbkn+%28HoustonChronicle.com+–%20+NBA+Basketball

Instead of increasing his playing time as McGrady had wanted, they chose not to play him at all.

“I said all along I want to see where he fits,” coach Rick Adelman said
Saturday. “Coming back from an injury like that (microfracture knee
surgery), it’s obvious he’s not the Tracy we knew two years ago. He
knows that. What I’m trying to figure out is where we can best get him
in the rotation where he can have a positive effect on the team.

“I just felt if he was unhappy with that situation, I wasn’t comfortable to go forward and try to jump-start it again. I want to be sure, this is our plan. I don’t blame any player for saying, ‘I want more.’ That’s what he wants. Right now, I’m not sure how to do it. We’ll figure it out, I hope.”

No objections

McGrady, a 6-8 guard/forward, was told Saturday morning he will sit out the weekend back-to-back against the Nets and Cavaliers and was given permission Saturday afternoon to return to Houston from New Jersey. The Rockets host New Orleans on Tuesday.

“I’m a player, man,” McGrady, 30, said. “I don’t make these decisions. I just abide by whatever they bring to me. That’s the plan. I’m not going to argue and fight with them — just run with it. I felt it was time (to increase the routine of playing seven to eight first-half minutes).

“I’m not going to cause any confusion or confrontations. As a player, that’s what I felt. They obviously feel different. That’s what I have to roll with.”

McGrady said neither he nor his representatives have asked for his playing time to increase, beyond his answers to questions after the game in Orlando on Wednesday.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6787617.html

“I will tell you what … if anything were to happen, whoever [trades for him] is going to get a hell of a player,” McGrady said. “A hungry one, too.”

McGrady has gone from one of the NBA’s most feared scorers to now averaging 3.2 points in 7.3 minutes over six games. McGrady has “no idea” when his minutes will increase.

“I’m feeling good and as the minutes start to increase, I’ll show that,” McGrady said. “It’s really hard to do anything on seven minutes. It is what it is at this time and I’m just rolling with it. I’m definitely back.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc-afterthebuzzer122509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Tracy McGrady returned to the Houston Rockets Tuesday night, and the
fans cheered. T-Mac hit a 3-pointer, his only points during an
eight-minute stint, and all was right in Rocket Land again. Right?

No, not so much.

McGrady’s comeback is only part of a larger plan to increase his minutes and prove his worth to a team willing to take a chance on his once-breathtaking ability to score and benefit from his $23 million expiring contract at the same time. The Rockets were 14-10 this season without Yao Ming and McGrady, and now the only question is how long they’ll have to keep up the charade until McGrady is in good enough condition to help another team.

"The plan is to increase his minutes because they’re gonna trade him," said a person familiar with the Rockets’ plans. "I know they are. It doesn’t do them any good to have him playing eight minutes a game on that contract. They’ll find somebody, and there are plenty of teams that are interested, in spite of the contract."

In fact, there will be plenty of teams interested because of that contract. McGrady’s $23 million salary comes with two built-in perks: It comes off the books on July 1, 2010, making it a vehicle for clearing cap space for the highly anticipated free-agent signing period, and it’s 80 percent insurance-protected. The insurance provision already has kicked in, since McGrady missed 41 consecutive games during his recovery from microfracture knee surgery. The Rockets, or McGrady’s new team, would receive 80 percent of his per-game salary for any games he misses the rest of this season.

Any number of teams desperate for short-term scoring punch while they prepare for a 2010 spending spree would be obvious fits; the Bulls and Knicks are at the top of my list. The Heat reportedly also are intrigued by McGrady, and team president Pat Riley is said to be closely monitoring T-Mac’s progress.

On Wednesday, I brought all of this information to someone who is personally invested in McGrady’s success — Tim Grover, the renowned trainer at Attack Athletics on the West Side of Chicago. Grover famously trained Michael Jordan and has recently worked with such stars as Kobe Bryant, Gilbert Arenas, and McGrady. Grover wouldn’t speculate on the Rockets’ motives with regard to T-Mac, but said McGrady’s debut Tuesday night was "long overdue."

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/18979876?source=rss_blogs_NBA

Many times since his season came to an end last February because of a
knee injury, the image of Tracy McGrady drew a strong reaction at
Toyota Center.

Typically, the crowd booed when McGrady was featured during the team’s pregame highlight video.

Tuesday night, however, McGrady’s appearance elicited a much different response from the Rockets faithful.

After nine months out of uniform, a career-threatening surgery and a number change, McGrady returned to the Rockets’ lineup against the Detroit Pistons and drew a rousing ovation, with a sizable portion of the crowd rising to its feet to welcome him back.

What? Guess it’s that heart-growing-fonder-because-of-absence thing.

Yes, it’s confusing. Let’s hope there is no more drama.

The Rockets rolled to a 107-96 win over the Pistons, and while McGrady’s appearance brought a level of excitement to the game, his play had little to do with the outcome. But it changes things.

Despite many predictions that he would never play for the Rockets again, Tracy McGrady is back. And he is happy.

“Through all the stuff that we’ve been through, you haven’t heard it come out of my mouth that I want to leave,” McGrady said. “This is home for me. My wife and kids love it here; I love it here. This is where I live in the offseason.

“I love everything about the organization — the owner, the fans and my teammates. This is it. I feel comfortable here. This is where I want to be.”

The decision to play McGrady for the first time this season was a last-minute one, as the Rockets were shorthanded with Trevor Ariza serving a one-game suspension. For weeks, McGrady has said he is ready to go, but the Rockets have said he wasn’t, which put McGrady in the unusual position of being a player who drew criticism for wanting to play.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6772535.html

Houston: The Rockets continue to offer Tracy McGrady(notes) in a trade,
but that will be a difficult proposition considering he’s the
highest-paid player in the league ($23.2 million) and no one has seen
him play in nine months. Houston seems willing to take back a
longer-term contract for McGrady, but most executives believe his high
salary makes it hard to put together a package.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman don’t want McGrady back with the team, and have insisted that he isn’t physically ready to return to the lineup. McGrady would love a trade, but knows he must start playing again for it to be

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-tradebuzz120309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

The Rockets have been in talks with several teams about moving veteran
guard Brent Barry, according to several individuals with knowledge of
the discussions.

The most serious talks have been with the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Though nothing appears imminent, there is a good chance the 6-7 Barry could be traded to create roster space before the start of camp Oct. 28. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey declined to comment, and Barry could not be reached for comment.

Barry, 37, has one more season, worth $2.062 million, left on the two-year contract he signed with the Rockets on July 10, 2008.

The Rockets signed Barry to be a playoff-tested veteran for a contending team, but with the injury to Yao Ming and with Tracy McGrady working his way back from microfracture surgery, they have signed rookies Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger at Barry’s positions.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6595741.html

“I hope I’ll be back,” Wafer said. “I love Houston, I love this organization. They gave me a chance, so I’d love to be back.”

Wafer had by far his most productive NBA season, averaging 9.7 points (his previous best was an average of 1.7 points) on 44.7 percent shooting.”

Read the full article from

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