From 2016-18, Ryan Anderson was a solid stretch big in Houston, hitting 335 three-pointers in that time. Last season he left but struggled in Phoenix and Miami (the Heat waived and stretched him in July).
Now he’s going back to Houston, a team with some available roster spots and minutes. Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news.
Free agent forward Ryan Anderson has agreed to a significantly partially guaranteed deal with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Anderson returns to Houston.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 25, 2019
Rockets bringing back Ryan Anderson, per @ShamsCharania, an interesting move. Went from thin to somewhat crowded with backup forwards, depending on how the roster shakes out. https://t.co/SwCGnVzT9k
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 25, 2019
The Rockets signed Anderson to four-year, $80 million contract in 2016 but moved him in a salary dump before last season to Phoenix. The Suns traded Anderson to the Heat, who this summer waived and stretched him — and that contract is still paying Anderson more than the veteran minimum the Rockets deal will.
Ryan Anderson will count more on Heat payroll this season ($5,214,584 stretch payment) than on Rockets' payroll. https://t.co/ULgS0ZiUzs
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) September 25, 2019
If Anderson can regain his form — he shot just 30 percent overall and 22.5 percent from three last season — there is a natural fit with the Rockets. P.J. Tucker will start at the four, and behind him it’s Gary Clark. It’s possible to see Anderson coming off the bench for 15 or so minutes a night as a good drive-and-kick option for both James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Anderson also played about a quarter of his minutes as a backup center in small-ball lineups last time he was in Houston, giving the team versatility. Not much defense, but offensive versatility.
For you salary cap nerds out there, if Anderson sticks with the Rockets the Heat save a little money on the stretch provision.
Ryan Anderson signing a partially-guaranteed deal with the Rockets (per @ShamsCharania) – likely for $2.6M min – could slightly lower MIA's $5.2M stretch payments thru 2021-22 to him. He needs to earn >$1.4M to lower them at all. If he earns the full $2.6M, they'd fall by $187K.
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) September 25, 2019
The Rockets will actually have to cut another non-guaranteed contract before signing Anderson (they already had the training camp maximum of 20). Houston has an interesting camp with actual position battles, they have just nine guaranteed contracts and the other 11 players in camp — of which five or six will make the opening day roster — are on non-guaranteed deals.
