Kelly Olynyk has played well for the Rockets after the Victor Oladipo trade with the Heat, but it remains to be seen if Olynyk will remain with the team beyond this season, as relayed by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Olynyk, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and is already drawing leaguewide interest. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Houston.
“It definitely factors in (to be) somewhere you can be yourself, play basketball the way you’ve always played. It’s been great here,” he said. “I’ve loved it, the opportunities, the players, the coaches. I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s obviously shown on the court. We’ll see what happens, but that definitely comes into the equation.”
The Rockets currently hold the best odds in the lottery. A roster of a healthy John Wall, Kevin Porter Jr., Christian Wood, a lottery pick and yes, Olynyk, could give the franchise some momentum heading into next season.
“I think he can kind of just maintain the role he’s had,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “It’s evident he and Christian can play well together. He is versatile. I think he fits in very well. … I think moving forward it could work.”
More from the Southwest
- Mavericks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis may be a go for Wednesday’s game, though Dallas is mostly just hoping he’s ready for the playoffs. “Hopefully I can get those last few games in to make sure my conditioning is good, just to clean everything up,” Porzingis said.
- The Pelicans now trail the Spurs by 2.5 games for the West’s 10th playoff spot with just three to go. So the play-in game is’nt looking good for New Orleans. But as long as there are games, there is hope. “Everyone is mentally pushing for the right things. Guys want to win. Guys want to play hard. Guys care,” guard Nick Alexander-Walker said.
- By the way, the Spurs own the tiebreaker with the Pelicans should the teams finish with the same record. “We’ve had so many ups and downs, injuries, the whole COVID situation, travel — we can find every excuse in the world,” guard DeMar DeRozan said. “We are still sitting here with an opportunity to continue playing.”
