Yossi Gozlan: Johni Broome fits into the $2.3 million trade exception the Clippers created by trading Chris Paul last season. They still have plenty of flexibility to make additional moves with $38 million in luxury tax ******* e. They also now have 8 second-round picks through 2033.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Johni Broome fits into the $2.3 million trade …

#yossi #clippers

Jake Fischer: Philadelphia is sending Los Angeles its second most favorable of the Sixers' three seconds in 2027, for the Clippers to absorb Johni Broome, per source.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Philadelphia is sending Los Angeles its second most …

#jake #broome

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly traded forward Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
The move helps Philadelphia get its financials under both the first and second aprons after signing both LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Broome is coming off his rookie season. The 24-year-old played in only 11 games and had 10 points, 16 rebounds and 4 ******* ists in 55 total minutes.
Philadelphia drafted Broome with the 35th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Clippers get young depth that can be developed. He joins a loaded roster of forwards after L.A. signed Rui Hachimura and traded for Gradey ******* and Brandon Ingram in the Kawhi Leonard trade with the Toronto Raptors (once that deal becomes official).
James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers. The signing of James and Caldwell-Pope pushed the 76ers into the first apron, but this trade helps the franchise get under both the first and second aprons.

#broome #second #clippers

Michael Scotto: JUST IN: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations, league sources told hoopshype.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Philadelphia 76ers are trading Johni Broome and a …

#johni #scotto #angeles

Shams Charania: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading C/F Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations, sources tell ESPN. The deal allows the 76ers to stay under both first and second aprons while signing LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Johni Broome traded to Clippers

#clippers #angeles

Peyton Watson is nearing a big payday after his breakout season. The Denver Nuggets are offering the UCLA product a five-year, $70 million deal, according to The Athletic's Tony Jones.
It's a tricky financial situation for Denver, which recently matched the Oklahoma City Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet for sharpshooter Spencer Jones. The Jones move brought the Nuggets into the second apron, so they'll reportedly have to do some roster shuffling to be able to extend Watson.
If Watson and the Nuggets can't make it work, he'll have plenty of suitors. The only holdup is apparently the Nuggets' asking price. Denver is reportedly requesting two first-round picks in exchange for Watson, who took a massive leap in Year 4 but is still relatively unproven.
Watson averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 41.1% from 3 last season. The 23-year-old has steadily improved each year, becoming a trusted NBA role player after hardly playing as a freshman at UCLA in 2021-22.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly expressed interest in a sign-and-trade for Watson. Los Angeles has long been a rumored destination for the 6-foot-8 guard, as the Clippers are undergoing somewhat of a youth movement following Kawhi Leonard's (likely) departure.

#ucla

Ohio State will likely always be the king of sports in Columbus, but good on the local professional and semi-professional franchises for embracing that. The Columbus Clippers recently announced an Ohio State-themed game and custom jerseys, and the Columbus Blue Jackets paid homage to OSU when they played an outdoor game in the 'Shoe against the Detroit Red Wings.
Sometimes, the sports even cross, like the news we received on Thursday when the Ohio State women's hockey team announced the hiring of former Blue Jacket Jack Johnson. The former NHL defenseman played for Columbus from 2012-18 and then again for his final season in 2024-25. He carved out a niche for hitting and blocking shots while he wore the blue sweater, and now he'll be taking his knowledge to Nadine Muzerall's program.
"We're really excited to have a new member join our family here at Ohio State," Muzerall said in a release. "To bring in Jack Johnson is going to continue to make our program better, both on the ice and really contribute to recruiting. When we talk about Ohio State, we talk about family and how we're all united. I think it's very important that he exemplifies that. He's going to bring that to our program and I think our recruits are going to see that and I know our girls are going to feel that."
Johnson does bring a winning pedigree to Ohio State. He was a part of the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup-winning team in 2022. He played his college hockey -- believe it or not -- at Michigan, so coming to the Buckeyes has to be a little bit awkward. Something tells me he'll fit in just fine.
"It's such a privilege and honor to be involved with the best women's college hockey program in the country," Johnson said. "I can't wait for the season to start and to continue Ohio State's pursuit of national championships."

#ohio

The Brooklyn Nets still have some moves to make with the 2026 NBA offseason still containing some big names on the market that could sign as soon as LeBron James decides where he will play next. Brooklyn has made most of the moves that they're going to make prior to the beginning of the 2026-27 season, but they are projected to lead the league in cap ****** e against next season.
The Nets are projected to have $68.6 million in cap ****** e following the conclusion of the 2026-27 campaign, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac in a post on X on Thursday. Following the Nets are the Chicago Bulls ($55.6 million), Los Angeles Clippers ($53.8 million), Detroit Pistons ($43.9 million), and Milwaukee Bucks ($43.3 million) to round out the top-5 teams in cap ****** e that offseason.
While Brooklyn is projected to have the most cap ****** e in the league next summer, that figure would change if the Nets agree to a contract extension with forward Michael Porter Jr. at some point this offseason. Porter is eligible to sign an extension for four years and $234 million and while he is unlikely to get the maximum amount of money he is eligible for, the structure of his extension could change Brooklyn's offseason next year significantly.
More to the point, the Nets reportedly signed center Mo Wagner to a two-year, $18 million deal, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, but the Wagner signing has not been made official as of this writing. However, even Brooklyn signs Wagner to the reported contract, his second year may not factor into the Nets' cap ****** e if it is a team option that the team ultimately declines.
Essentially, ****** uming that Porter isn't signed to a contract extension and Wagner's deal has a team option on the second year, Brooklyn will have almost $70 million in cap ****** e to work with after next season. Some of the best unrestricted free-agents next season, excluding James, will be Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, forward Kawhi Leonard, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro.

#million #offseason

Grizzlies point guard D’Angelo Russell is not believed to be a long-term piece in Memphis, with both sides expected to work together toward a resolution that would allow the 30-year-old to find a new home at some point this offseason — whether via a buyout agreement or a trade — sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Russell, who appeared in just 25 games last season in Dallas, arrived in Memphis earlier this month as part of an expansive six-team deal involving Milwaukee, Washington, Dallas, the LA Clippers and Detroit. The trade also sent center Isaiah Stewart, guard AJ Johnson, three future second-round picks, a conditional first-round pick and a second-round swap to the Grizzlies.
The veteran guard was ****** umed to be part of a ball-handling group in Dallas last season designed to ****** ist in the development of then-rookie Cooper Flagg, but started just three games — seemingly falling out of favor with former head coach Jason Kidd amid options like Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams. Russell, who was later traded to the Wizards at the February trade deadline and opted into the final year of his contract ($6 million) in June, would be potentially joining his fourth team in a span of two years.
Russell’s timeline — an experienced player with over 30 playoff games — simply doesn’t align with a rebuilding Grizzlies franchise seeking young, developmental talent centered around a core of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and recent No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer. Coward and Boozer impressed in Vegas during summer league, with Coward averaging 19 points, 7 ****** ists and 4 rebounds and Boozer finishing the campaign earning first-team honors — and with the Grizzlies reaching the championship game. Memphis is also dealing with a roster crunch after an eventful summer, with 21 players currently on the roster (including Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack who are on two-way contracts).
The next question for Russell at this stage of the offseason will be finding a situation outside of Memphis where his skill set fits with an already established ecosystem. At a glance, his career stats paint the picture of a more-than-capable floor general — 17 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.6 ****** ists on .427/.363/.793 splits — but his recent inconsistency requires a larger lens. When Russell has dominated the ball, he’s been shown to be a quality creator who threads the needle well between usage, playmaking and scoring prowess. The challenge for him, at least over the course of his recent stops with the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks has been dealing with efficiency under the umbrella of shot distribution and overall pecking order — along with remaining effective on the defensive end.

#memphis #dallas #boozer

Connections matter in the NBA. It's become commonplace for former teammates and friends to join forces in the **** ociation (just look at the reigning champion New York Knicks). These bonds don't always lead to an NBA reunion, but they have to at least be considered during the offseason, especially in the case of the Boston Celtics and 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer discussed how Beal's next landing spot could be tied to his friendship with Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Beal, who's about 5 years older than Tatum, was a mentor for the eventual 2024 NBA champion and the two grew up in St. Louis and both attended the same high school, Chaminade. That relationship that began in Missouri continued in the NBA and beyond, as Tatum even attended Beal's wedding last summer.
"Bradley Beal has got several options," Fischer reported. "I do think there is some Miami (Heat) interest...I wouldn't rule out Boston for Beal because of the connection with Jayson Tatum. I even asked about that today and I was told not to rule out Boston."
Beal played in just 6 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season before opting out of his player option. A season-ending hip injury prevented the 33-year-old from seeing the court much with L.A. and he hasn't played in more than 60 games in a single season since the 2018-19 campaign.
These injury concerns and the Celtics' current financial situation — the front office could only offer Beal a veteran's minimum contract or the bi-annual exception — make a St. Louis get-together less likely.

#star

The Lakers defeated the Clippers, 99-85, on Wednesday in the NBA Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former Vol Cameron Carr started for the Lakers and led all scorers with 23 points. He converted 8-of-18 field goal attempts, 3-of-10 three-point attempts and 3-of-5 free throw attempts. Carr also recorded one rebound, two **** ists and one block in 29 minutes.
Kobe Sanders led the Clippers in scoring with 18 points. Keaton Wagler also scored 16 points for the Clippers.
Carr was selected by New York with the No. 24 pick during the first round of the NBA draft in 2026. He was traded to Los Angeles.
Carr played for the Vols from 2023-25.

The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard's deal with Aspiration keeps dragging on, but a new discovery shows the bizarre extent of the situation.
As the Clippers, Raptors, and Leonard await a decision from the NBA over the matter to continue their offseason business, more details of the alleged 'no-show' sponsorship deal are emerging.
A new detail is that Aspiration's marketing team went out of their way to find a way to integrate Leonard into a marketing campaign for their tree-growing initiatives.
The Athletic has revealed that Aspiration's employees presumed Leonard would feature in a marketing campaign after signing on to a $20 million endorsement deal. As a result, they came up with a campaign that made Leonard seem like Groot from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
"The efforts went so far as to create images, reviewed by The Athletic, of Leonard as an offshoot of Marvel's Groot – Aspiration's purpose was a promise to plant trees to offset carbon footprints."

The NBA's main summer league continued on Tuesday for the Los Angeles Lakers, who had two full days off following their last game on Saturday. They faced the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, and again, they looked excellent overall.
They got out to a 24-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, and they never looked back. They shot 47.9% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range while holding the Clippers to 42.6% overall shooting and 23.8% from 3-point land, allowing them to claim a 99-85 victory.
Four members of the Lakers' summer league team have looked like legitimate NBA prospects, and those same four men stood out on Tuesday.
Mañon recently had a couple of strong offensive outings, and he delivered that type of play again versus the Clippers.
He scored 10 points in the first quarter to get the Lakers off to a good start, and he finished with 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting and 2-of-4 from downtown while also adding two ***** ists.

When asked about the still-pending Kawhi Leonard trade between the Clippers and Raptors, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the onus for the delay lies strictly with the teams involved and not with the league.
Silver addressed media from Summer League in Las Vegas Tuesday night and was asked repeatedly about the ongoing Leonard saga that started with a league investigation in September and has resulted in his trade from Los Angeles to Toronto being put on hold in July.
Silver put it in no uncertain terms: The delay is on the Clippers and Raptors.
"I mean, the league did not pause the trade," Silver said. "The parties to the trade made a decision not to go forward, given that the investigation remained open and any possible impact on Kawhi or his contract was yet to be known.
"And so they chose not to live with that uncertainty, but that was well known before the trade was proposed. I didn't think there was any reason for people to believe that the status of Kawhi Leonard would change merely because he was traded. The investigation needs to run its course."

The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors remain at a standstill regarding the proposed trade that would bring Kawhi Leonard back to Canada.
Leonard’s seven-year tenure with the Clippers ended after he was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30, for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey ******* , two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.
Both teams have since put a halt to the trade, citing the ongoing investigation surrounding Leonard, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, and Leonard's uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson. All three men were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.
There’s a belief that both sides are still willing to go through with the deal with the ******* umption that there will be limited consequences for the parties involved.
"My timeline remains this summer," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said when talking to reporters on Thursday, July 14. "... I'm not conducting the investigation … as I've said previously, we all have an interest in wrapping this up, and I most recently said in an interview that I am hopeful it will wrap up this summer and that will continue to be the goal here."

The NBA has been investigating Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers for 10 months, and their failure to share a verdict is impacting multiple teams’ offseasons.
Leonard is expected to start next season as a member of the Toronto Raptors after the franchise agreed to a trade to acquire him.
However, the Raptors are holding off on completing the trade until the NBA’s investigation into the Leonard ‘Aspiration’ scandal is complete.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has finally shared a comprehensive update.
Silver held a press conference at the NBA Board of Governors meeting where he revealed that the NBA is hoping to wrap its Leonard investigation up in the coming months.

Adam Silver reveals that he wants the Kawhi Leonard situation to get cleared up soon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Kawhi Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors has not been finalized yet because the controversy with the Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration has not been cleared up just yet. It has led the league office, led by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, to step in and make a statement.
On Tuesday night, Silver finally addressed what is happening with the Leonard situation and the league's plans to resolve it. He admits that it is taking a lot of time, but he wants to finally get past what is happening with the trade.
The trade was reported a few weeks ago, so both parties would want it to be resolved by now. However, the Aspiration controversy continues to loom over both Kawhi and the Clippers.
It won't go away, especially with some new revelations coming out lately about potential promotional campaigns that Aspiration was trying to conduct with Leonard as the focal point.

The Toronto Raptors confirmed last week that their trade with the Los Angeles Clippers centered around Kawhi Leonard won’t be completed before the NBA wraps an investigation that’s captivated the basketball world. The league hired the law firm Wachtell Lipton to probe into a no-work, multi-million dollar endorsement deal the seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP signed with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company ensnared in a scandal that revolves around the Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap.
The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov released a report on Tuesday that divulges more information about the ongoing investigation, which has seemingly grown since its inception. In it, Vorkunov reports that, along with looking into whether the Clippers manipulated the cap by striking a deal with Aspiration for Leonard, Wachtell has inspected if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company.
Plus, the firm has sifted to determine if the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard and weren’t reimbursed for them, according to The Athletic.
If Leonard is punished as a result of the NBA’s investigation, Toronto could back out of its agreed-upon trade, which was first reported on June 30 and is supposed to deliver the 35-year-old Leonard back to the Raptors, with whom he won an NBA championship in 2019. In return, the Clippers have been poised to receive two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram and Gradey ******* as well as first-round draft picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round selections in 2030 and 2033 and a first-round pick swap in 2027, per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Early last month, at NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s annual news conference leading up to the NBA Finals, he didn’t specify when Wachtell Lipton’s investigation report will arrive on his desk, although he did say it was “close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.”

While the LA Clippers, Leonard and now the Raptors all wait for a conclusion, the investigation has grown in scope since it began, according to multiple sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely. Not only has Wachtell Lipton, the league’s go-to law firm hired to conduct the inquiry, inspected if the Clippers circumvented the NBA salary cap by facilitating a sponsorship deal for Leonard with Aspiration, it has also looked into whether the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard but were not reimbursed for them, those sources said. And the firm has examined if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, those sources said.
New York Times
New York Times
Doug Smith: Kawhi Leonard sauntering up to mid-court to visit with Larry and Judy Tanenbaum and Bobby Webster might be of note to Raptors fans who absolutely won’t read anything into it — 7/13/2026 Bluesky
Fullcourtpass: Scottie Barnes on the Raptors potential addition of Kawhi Leonard "Seems very dangerous... We’re trying to take candy from a baby essentially." — 7/11/2026 x.com

Jul. 14—➜ The former Illini and Los Angeles Clippers rookie scored 23 points and was 4 of 7 from three-point range during the Clippers' 104-82 win against the Utah Jazz on Sunday night in an NBA Summer League game from Las Vegas.
➜ during their 104-85 victory on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings from Las Vegas.
➜ Defensive specialist and setter will represent the Illini.
baseball players selected in this year's MLB draft before the Los Angeles Dodgers took Illinois left-handed reliever with the 613th and final pick of the 20-round draft on Sunday evening. Bates earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors during the 2025 season before missing the 2026 season because of an injury. He went 2-2 with a 2.83 earned run average, 34 strikeouts and 16 walks in 28 2/3 innings in 2025.
➜ Two former Illinois teammates — with the Bucks and with the Hornets — could guard each other in this NBA Summer League game that tips off at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday from Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto will be on hold for a bit longer.
The NBA’s annual Board of Governors meeting is taking place at Summer League this week and a ruling on the investigation into the Clippers and failed startup Aspiration won’t be finalized before commissioner Adam Silver meets with the media on Tuesday night.
That doesn’t mean Silver will be short on topics to cover.
The league recently closed a round of bidding on teams for its prospective league in Europe and has seen a number of groups go public about their interest in bringing an expansion team to Las Vegas.
And Silver will likely be asked why it took nine days for the NBA to officially inform the Clippers and Raptors that their trade was on hold until the Aspiration investigation was completed.

The Nuggets, mind you, still have two restricted free agents of their own to hash out deals with: Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones. And some fresh rumbles have been relayed to The Stein Line that the Bucks are joining the Clippers and Hawks on the list of teams trying to pry Watson away from the Nuggets via sign-and-trade.
marcstein.substack.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Bucks targeting Peyton Watson

The Brooklyn Nets made one of the bigger moves this offseason when they reportedly acquired forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brooklyn still officially doesn't have Randle or Iowa State Joshua Jefferson (the No. 28 pick) on the roster due to the deal still pending, but there appears to be another reason as well.
"Brooklyn does still possess the cap ******* e to furnish Watson with an offer sheet in his desired salary range, but I'm told that the Nets have been internally ******* sing how to utilize their available spending power before officially completing their multi-team trade," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on the Nets for The Stein Line. Brooklyn is one of just a few teams that can offer Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson the kind of money he's looking for in restricted free-agency.
Whether the Nets are pursuing Watson in free-agency will depend on how much they're willing to pay him to bring him in the building following his breakout season. NBA salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan reported on July 6 that Brooklyn had nearly $25 million in cap ******* e after signing center Day'Ron Sharpe, forward Josh Minott, and guard Keon Ellis. Watson reportedly is looking for his next deal to average $25 million per year.
"They could spend it, then go over the cap to sign Moe Wagner (room mid-level) and trade for Julius Randle (expanded TPE)," Gozlan wrote on X explaining the options that the Nets have at that moment. "That amount will be reduced if they do any of those two transactions first. They won't have much time to use it, since they probably can't hold up the four-team Nets-Hornets-Wolves-Bulls trade for too long."
At this point in free-agency, Watson is considered one of the best free-agents on the market that is a realistic target for the Nets along with players like Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin and Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan ******* inga. Brooklyn still pending transactions involving Randle and Orlando Magic center Mo Wagner, but it seems like they're to maximize what they can do with their cap ******* e at the moment.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 10: A Seattle Sonics fan holds a sign before the Rain City Showcase in a preseason NBA game between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz at Climate Pledge Arena on October 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The NBA's Board of Governors will meet on July 14 with expansion among the biggest talking points.
While the league has already narrowed focus on bringing teams to Seattle and Las Vegas, there are no guarantees expansion is approved at this time.
With multiple owners (including the New York Knicks' Jim Dolan) outwardly anti-expansion and a large contingent of new ownership groups that may not value expansion fees as a reason to increase competition, it's no sure thing the process gets the required 23 votes next week.
Even if 23 of the NBA's 30 owners do approve the expansion process, however, there's another looming challenge for Seattle, specifically: The looming sale of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

When the Toronto Raptors reacquired Kawhi Leonard earlier this month, it looked like one of the biggest steals of the NBA offseason. The reunion made perfect sense. Leonard was returning to the franchise where he delivered its first and only NBA championship before departing for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. For Raptors fans, it felt like a storybook homecoming. Now, however, the entire situation has been thrown into chaos.
MORE: LeBron James looking to turn 2026-27 NBA season into 'Last Dance'-style series
Dec 3, 2018; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in action against the Denver Nuggets at Scotiabank Arena. The Nuggets beat the Raptors 106-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
According to a report, Leonard's trade to Toronto isn't simply on hold—it could lead to the veteran superstar being suspended. Even more shocking is the report's claim that the NBA has been investigating both Leonard and the Clippers for the past 10 months.
If that timeline is accurate, it raises a serious question about how this situation was handled by the league. This is where the NBA deserves criticism.

Clippers rookie shocks Doris Burke, NBA fans by jumping on his free throw shots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nick Martinelli jumps on his free throws.
At least, that's what the Los Angeles Clippers rookie did on Thursday night. The left-handed Martinelli left the ground on his foul shots during NBA Summer League action in Las Vegas.
It left ESPN announcer Doris Burke in a bit of disbelief:
Was it the right strategy? Martinelli shot just 4-for-7 at the foul line, so that's up for debate.

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston ***** istant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.
To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.
With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today's article, we will continue with the sixth of 16 who wore the No. 21, forward alum Henry James. After ending his college career at St. Mary's, James went unselected in the 1988 NBA Draft, playing in other leagues until he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990.
The Centreville, Alabama native played the first two seasons of his NBA career with Cleveland. He also played for the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers at the NBA level before he signed with the Houston Rockets in 1996. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the Golden State Warriors that fall.

The Los Angeles Lakers have settled in for the upcoming NBA Summer League series in Las Vegas.
The Lakers have set up a new custom-designed practice court in a ballroom and were seen by reporters practicing on it Thursday, July 9.
The Lakers had played on a custom court during the NBA Cup, but it was met with some negative feedback from players. Lakers star Luka Doncic in particular had an issue with the court, slipping on it during the team's 135-118 victory over the L.A. Clippers on Nov. 25, 2025.
"It's just slippery. It's dangerous," Doncic said. "I slipped. I slipped a lot, and you could see many players slip. And that's dangerous."
The NBA provided an alternate court for each team in the league as a promotional tool for this past season's tournament games.

Marc Stein: NBA spokesperson to TheSteinLine on the league’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s contract with the Clippers: “We don’t have a specific timeline for the conclusion of the investigation but expect the firm to finalize its work in the coming weeks."
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “We don’t have a specific timeline for the conclusion …

At face value, the Toronto Raptors trading for Kawhi Leonard is extremely exciting.
Even while he's older, Leonard is the sort of player who could, once again, elevate Toronto to NBA ****** le contender status. Unfortunately, with news that Leonard's trade from the L.A. Clippers is being delayed to allow for continued investigation into the Aspiration scandal (unless the Raptors simply agree to accept all potential Leonard punishments), there's a distinct chance we don't see the all-timer playing in Toronto again.
This Leonard trade snag could also affect the future of a promising and still-ascending young NBA restricted free agent: Peyton Watson.
You see, the Clippers were all too ready to start operating without Leonard's monster $50.3 million salary on their books. That gave them the sort of breathing room to enter earnest contract negotiations with Watson. As it stands, the Clippers appeared to be the only reported team earnestly trying to pry Watson away from the Denver Nuggets, either by giving him a deal the Nuggets wouldn't match or executing a complicated sign-and-trade.
But unless the Raptors agree to accept the conditions of Leonard's possible punishment any time soon, the Clippers and Toronto will have to wait indefinitely for further clarity on the NBA's investigation. That is time inherently taken away from any ongoing Watson talks. And the more time passes in this situation, the more likely the young forward is to accept whatever terms the Nuggets offer to keep him in Denver. This is the case regardless of whether the Leonard trade to Toronto is eventually finalized or whether the Raptors decide to back out once they see a possible Leonard punishment they're uncomfortable with taking on.