New Allocation Rules In Effect

A lot of people are interested (by a lot, I mean me) how these new D-League allocation rules are going to work, and I thought the transactions made by the Rockets today would provide a pretty good example. The Hoops Market is reporting that the Rockets cut four players today: Antonio Anderson (good), Mike Harris (stud), Alexander Johnson (stud), Jerel McNeal (don't know). As the rules are written, RGV would have rights of first refusal to three of the four players cut, because Johnson's rights belong in Sioux Falls. That would be a nice start for RGV if they get all three to their team. Harris was really good last year, and Anderson was possibly the most athletic of all the players that ran through Fort Wayne last year. I don't know much about McNeal, but I hear good things about him.

Hoops Market is reporting that Harris is heading to China, where I am sure big paychecks await. I'd think Anderson and McNeal would join RGV, as they are younger and have a good shot of being called up, especially if McNeal was recently signed to the Rockets training camp -- as speculated by Scott Schroeder at Ridiculous Upside -- to have his rights sent to RGV. And, if that was why they signed McNeal, it shows one of the monster advantages NBA owned/hybrid teams have over independent teams. We just don't have the type of close relationship with our affiliates that can make something like that happen.