Report: Rockets Likely Won’t Sign F/C Marko Todorovic
The puzzle pieces are coming together for the Houston Rockets.
As the dog days of summer roll by, the club is continuing to ensure that the essential pieces that I speak of are a great fit for this team.
Sometimes one just knows that it’ll work, a little is trial-and-error and sometimes things don’t become a fit.
So far, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the Rockets as they were able to sign fan favorites in Patrick Beverley and Corey Brewer, the obvious guys that needed to get re-signed as soon as possible.
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But there is a new development in regard to another guy that the Rockets have had their radar locked on for quite some time.
Who would that be?
That’s none other than Montenegrin 6’11”, 240-pound forward/center Marko Todorovic.
The Rockets were in hot pursuit of signing the international player for a future debut on the active roster but that will not be so, at least for this season reports Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors.
Todorovic plans to remain overseas to play for Russia’s BC Khimki, a member of the Euroleague.
The club just announced the signing of the big man to a three-year deal Tuesday:
Officially: Montenegrin power forward/center Marko Todorović signed a three-year deal with @Khimkibasket pic.twitter.com/95mXaQIKr9
— BC Khimki (@Khimkibasket) July 14, 2015
Back in early as this past May, things were looking as if a deal was close to bring Todorovic to the boundaries of the Bayou City.
Here’s what he told Catalan newspaper L’Esportiu back at that time:
"“The Rockets want me and in the summer I will [make] my decision. I believed that my style of play doesn’t fit the NBA, but the interest of the Rockets made [me] change my mind.”"
Although the Rockets could’ve been able to pull off a signing of the forward/center, this news certainly put a damper in their plans.
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According to NBA rules, the franchise would’ve been able to spend about $625,000 to use toward the buyout of international contracts and the rest of money coming from remaining cap money and exceptions.
With the Rockets being cap poor this season and a lot of more higher priorities to undertake this season, it’s just not feasible at this time to complete a signing.
He’s a certainly a scorer and a bruiser in the paint as far as every sense of the word.
His defensive prowess is evident as he seems hungry for every opportunity and there’s even more room for him to improve in that area.
Todorovic, a second-round pick, was selected 45th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers — the Rockets acquired his rights via a trade that shipped forward Thomas Robinson away as the team was trying to clear room to ink Dwight Howard.
Nonetheless, it will nice to see him eventually in a Rockets’ uniform but he seems content on where he is right now and it’s highly unlikely that he’s ready for the daily grind of the NBA just yet.
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It’ll happen soon enough.
Hopefully…
Todorovic, 23, averaged 11.5 PPG and 4.4 RPG with Bilbao Basket this past season — a member of the Spanish ACB league — all career highs. He was also the league’s March Player of the Month.
Go Rockets!