Report: Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract With Chris Clemons
The Rockets signed guard Chris Clemons to a three-year contract on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Clemons will earn the NBA's prorated minimum for the remainder of 2019-20, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Clemons' deal is non-guaranteed for next season, and the Rockets have a team option on Clemons' contract for 2021-22, per MacMahon.
The Campbell product is averaging 4.8 points and 8.2 minutes per game as a rookie. He is shooting 39.1% from three, making 1.3 triples per games. Clemons has not played in four of Houston's last five games, though he poured in 17 points against Detroit on Dec. 14.
Clemons may struggle to find minutes in head coach Mike D'Antoni's rotation when Eric Gordon returns from right knee surgery. Gordon may come back to the floor as early as Sunday when the Rockets face the Pelicans in New Orleans.
The 5'9" point guard has played 16 games this season without Gordon in Houston's lineup. Clemons has often been the Rockets' second point guard off the bench behind Austin Rivers, and he's slid up in the rotation when Russell Westbrook sits and Rivers enters the starting lineup.
Clemons was undrafted out of Campbell in June's draft. He won the Big South Player of the Year award in 2018-19 as he averaged 30.1 points per game. Clemons is the No. 3 leading scorer in NCAA history.
Clemons and the Rockets dropped to 21–10 with Wednesday's Christmas Day loss to the Warriors. They will face the Nets on Saturday in their first game home after a four-game road trip.
Tip-off from the Toyota Center on Saturday is slated for 7 p.m. ET.