Rockets Sign Trevor Ariza Using Injury Exception Money for Yao Ming

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets were supposed to provide answers during the official introduction of the newly signed free-agent forward Trevor Ariza on Wednesday.

Instead, their behind-the-scenes maneuvering created even more questions.

On the day the Rockets introduced Ariza, a key contributor of the Los Angeles Lakers' championship run, the team admitted it signed the 24-year-old budding star with money from an injury exception granted by the NBA for Yao Ming, who's nursing a broken foot that could keep him sidelined for all of 2009-10.

The NBA occasionally grants injury exceptions to teams who anticipate losing a player for an entire season. Yao Ming, who broke his left foot during the Western Conference semifinals, has seen the fracture in his foot grow since suffering the injury, prompting speculation it might force him to miss all this coming season and perhaps even end his career.

As the cornerstone of the Rockets team, his absence would rock the franchise.

The Rockets haven't officially confirmed any of those reports, and in fact claimed Wednesday that using the injury exception money -- in the neighborhood of $5.7 million -- doesn't necessarily mean Yao will be lost for the year.

Even so, the NBA certainly wouldn't grant the money without good faith the team will be without the Chinese star. The Rockets had to apply for the exception, sending all medical records to the NBA offices.

If Yao elects to have another surgery to repair his foot, then it's likely he won't play at all during the 2009-10 campaign. The team doesn't seem to want to say anything until it officially hears from Yao.

"I think I will wait for the announcement there," said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. "We want that to be coordinated with Yao and his people."

Yao, through his agent, sought to ease concerns Wednesday. A announcement is expected in the next week regarding which avenue Yao will take with his injury.

"I am optimistic about the future and I will return to playing basketball when my foot has fully healed," Yao said in a statement. "My focus is on selecting the best treatment option for my injured foot and committing myself to do what I can to ensure a complete recovery."

The Rockets went into Wednesday, the first day NBA free agents could sign contracts, with a mid-level exception and the injury exception to lure potential free agents. Morey said they chose to use the injury exception on Ariza because it gives them more flexibility in signing additional free agents.

The injury exception can only be used on one player, while the mid-level exception, worth roughly $5.7 million, can be used to sign multiple players. Morey insists there is no penalty for using the injury exception money should Yao return this season.

"I think it's real important because it keeps our flexibility to keep improving the team," Morey said. "Obviously if we had used all of it just on Trevor it would have limited our flexibility. We would have still been able to trade and do other things but this helps us a lot going forward."

In the meantime, the Rockets have lured the 6-8 forward the entire NBA fell in love with during the Lakers' playoff run. Ariza blossomed into a legitimate wing threat this season, converting a career-high 61 three-pointers.

The fifth-year NBA player elevated his game during the Lakers' championship run, averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.57 steals in 23 playoff games. Ariza, also a big defensive asset on the wing, was coming off a breakthrough regular season in which he appeared in a career-high 82 games (20 starts), averaging 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.67 steals.

Now Ariza, a native of Los Angeles, looks to take on an even bigger role away from home and the long shadow of Kobe Bryant. That opportunity will come early in the season, as the Rockets will also be without Tracy McGrady, who's recovering from microfracture knee surgery, and Ron Artest, who took Ariza's place with the Lakers.



"This is a big step for me and my family," Ariza said. "I'm just thankful to be here. I enjoyed my time in L.A. and I appreciated my fans there but now it's time to move on and start a new chapter in my life and I think this is the best place for me."

"It was a lot going on," Ariza said. "I was a free agent and all the stuff the goes along with being a free agent happened. I committed here for three reasons: One is I would be closer to my family; the second reason I will have a chance to develop more as a player; and third, this is a great young team that has a lot of potential. They are very scrappy and never give up and I believe that's the type of player I am."

Ariza admitted that Cavs star LeBron James and newly acquired center Shaquille O'Neal made a strong push for him to join him in Cleveland even after he verbally agreed to sign with the Rockets last week.

One of the interesting things to come out the recruitment by the Cavs was a report that James told Ariza he planned to remain in Cleveland after he becomes a free agent next summer. Ariza denied any such conversation took place.

"They were like any other players; players here called me too," said Ariza. "We just came off a championship run and fortunately I had something to do with that. Everybody wants to win and I am happy people want me on their team."

"He had nothing to say about his future," Ariza said pointedly. "I don't know where that came from because I didn't say that, and nobody I'm close to said that. I don't know where that came from.

"He just told me that if I was to come there, we'd have a good chance of winning and that's all he wants to do is win."

For Morey, adding Ariza was an easy decision. "Anytime you have a chance to sign an NBA champion who is 24 years old, I think you have to jump at the chance," Morey said. "That's what we did. The minute we heard that there was a shot we might be able to woo him out of the Lakers fold, we were on the next flight and coach [Rick] Adelman met him a few days later.

"We feel like Trevor is someone who every year added to his game and we feel like there is still more to his game to come. We feel like he is someone who can help us win now and also be a big part of our core going forward."

Ariza said he's not concerned whether Yao and McGrady will be available next season. His concerns are to make the Rockets winners and to continue to improve his game.

"I think I will have more of an opportunity," Ariza said. "I was talking to Coach the other day and he was telling me that he saw what I did in the playoffs and how my game grew and he felt there was still more room for growth and improvement. He going to give me a chance to nurture that and improve as a player."