Basketball

Samuel Dalembert Signs with Houston Rockets

HOUSTON, USA (defend.ht) - He could have taken a deal with the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat, but Samuel Dalembert chose the best price, signing with the Houston Rockets for two years and a second year buy-out option.

The contract Dalembert agreed to is worth $13.7 million -- $7 million this season and $6.7 million in 2012-13, other offers with the Heat or Knicks would have been half that amount.

The Rockets had a face-to-face visit with Dalembert early in free agency. Dalembert says he had a good feeling about the place.

"It's just sometimes you talk to people in the organization and get a feel for it," Dalembert, 30, said. "I had players I played with in Philly, Greg Buckner. I had an old-school guy actually on the staff who went to Seton Hall (director of scouting Arturas Karnisovas) like myself. It just feels like a family place."

"You get to talk to the people. I talked to Yao Ming about the team. Yao told me it is a really good organization.

"That really put it over the edge to the point that was a place I want to be."

"There is a great legacy here with big men," Dalembert, 6-11, said. "I'm hoping I can do a lot of work with the help of Coach, a tremendous player as a big man. And with the young guys, we can really make the city scream again."

Big Man Central

The Rockets are looking to be big and mean in 2011-2012. The Head Coach is Kevin McHale, a Celtics legend and Yao Ming and the "Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon stay close to the team. They've also added a D-League beast named Jeff Adrien. Look out.