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The Houston Rockets have signed free agent guard Ben McLemore, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.
Rockets sign guard Ben McLemore, per Daryl Morey tweet. McLemore, a 6-5 guard, has played in six NBA seasons, most with the Kings, averaging 8.3 ppg.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 23, 2019
The deal is for two years and is partially guaranteed, according to Shams Charania.
Free agent Ben McLemore has agreed to a partially guaranteed two-year deal with the Houston Rockets, league source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 23, 2019
McLemore is a 6’5”, 26-year-old shooting guard who once showed some promise in averaging 12.1 points per game in the 2014-2015 season, but his playing time has steadily decreased since then, and he played in just 19 games last year with the Sacramento Kings, averaging just 8.3 minutes per game, though he did shoot 41 percent from deep in limited opportunity.
He carries career averages of 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 41.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc in five seasons with the Kings and one with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He’s also been a below-average defender throughout his NBA career, never finishing with a positive defensive plus-minus, though he does have a fair amount of athleticism, fitting in with Houston’s goal of getting younger and more athletic this offseason.
While this isn’t a game-changing signing, the Rockets are lacking in depth on the wing, and McLemore has the skills to contribute should he put it all together in H-town. Otherwise, this is a relatively risk-free move for the Rockets.
Welcome to Houston!