Iman Shumpert is the best free agent available.
Why hasn’t he signed yet? Apparently because he spent the offseason negotiating with the Rockets, but those talks haven’t produced a deal.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
After months of discussions, free agent Iman Shumpert has decided to decline the Rockets' contract offer, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Shumpert will not attend team minicamp this week in Las Vegas.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 17, 2019
Kelly Iko of The Athletic:
Source: Terrence Jones, Nick Young, and Luc Mbah a Moute will be among the players in Vegas for the Rockets’ minicamp.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) September 17, 2019
Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic:
Source: Corey Brewer and Raymond Felton will also be at #Rockets’ minicamp too.
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) September 17, 2019
So Brewer and Mbah A Moute, two former Rockets, will be there. https://t.co/Gkwf1Mber1
Source: Thabo Sefolosha will also be at #Rockets minicamp
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) September 17, 2019
To recap tweets from me and @KellyIkoNBA, here is a list of some of the players in Vegas for the #Rockets' minicamp:
Terrence Jones
Nick Young
Luc Mbah A Moute
Corey Brewer
Raymond Felton
Thabo Sefolosha
I wonder whether Houston tried to sign Shumpert to a contract similar to Nene’s, creating another trade chip. The Rockets are close to the luxury tax and probably wouldn’t guarantee Shumpert much. It doesn’t take months to negotiate a simple minimum contract.
Shumpert (29) is a credible wing in a league starving for them. He played well for the Kings last season before getting traded to Houston, where he struggled. Other teams should be interested.
The Rockets have just nine players with guaranteed salaries. There’s plenty of room for some of these past-their-prime veterans to make the regular-season roster. It might mostly depend on which of Terrence Jones (27), Nick Young (34), Luc Mbah a Moute (33), Corey Brewer (33), Raymond Felton (35) and Thabo Sefolosha (35) are in the best shape at this stage.