Jabari Smith Jr. Articles - Page 2

The Houston Rockets are playing the long game, and doing it with precision. This NBA Free Agency, the Rockets made headlines by extending forward Jabari Smith Jr. on a five-year, $122 million rookie-scale deal. But what’s turning heads isn’t just the amount, it’s the structure. The deal starts at $23.64 million in Year 1, dips […]

The Houston Rockets have locked in another key piece of their youth movement. They have reportedly agreed to a five-year, $122 million rookie extension with Jabari Smith Jr. The deal marks a significant financial commitment for a player who, while still oozing potential, has yet to deliver consistently high-level production. It’s a calculated bet from […]

The Houston Rockets’ offseason continues to get better as rising star Jabari Smith Jr. will commit to them in the long term. Smith intends on signing a five-year, $122 million contract extension with the Rockets, per ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania. “Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. intends to sign a five-year, $122 million rookie […]

The Houston Rockets are knocking on the door of contention. After years of rebuilding, stockpiling assets, and developing young talent, the franchise is finally in a position to make a bold move. And there may be no bolder move this offseason than acquiring future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Note that the Suns are entering […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a disappointing season that saw them not even make the playoffs, despite successfully landing All-Star free agent Paul George to pair with 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid. But luckily, the basketball gods were on their side, as Philadelphia will be selecting with the third overall pick at the 2025 […]

ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently analyzed hypothetical trade packages from all 29 NBA teams that could have been offered to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, prior to the real-world deal that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2. Among the more intriguing proposals was one from the Houston Rockets, who, according to […]

The Houston Rockets appeared headed for St. Patrick’s Day self destruction on Monday. The Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 25-point lead in the third quarter. But Houston ends the night tying a franchise record. The Rockets erased that massive deficit to win 144-137 in overtime over Philly. Houston tied its previous best comeback of 2019 […]

The Houston Rockets (33-20) are already fifth in the Western Conference, and soon they’ll get even stronger. Forward Jabari Smith Jr. (fractured hand), who’s been out since Jan. 3, is targeting a return date of Feb. 21 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, via NBA insider Chris Haynes. Sources: Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (fractured hand) — […]

After an up-and-down start to the 2024-25 NBA season, Jabari Smith Jr.’s third professional season has taken a turn for the worst when, during shoot around before the Rockets’ January 3rd game against the Boston Celtics, he fractured his hand and is now expected to miss at least a month of action, according to Shams […]

The NBA season continues, and we have a tilt between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets on Friday.  It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Timberwolves-Rockets prediction and pick. The matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at Toyota Center is set to be a […]

LAS VEGAS, NV – Jabari Smith Jr. and the Houston Rockets are preparing to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals of the NBA Cup on Saturday evening. As is the case for most Rockets games, forward Dillon Brooks will be an x-factor in the game for Houston. Brooks, who will take on […]

The 2024-25 season is back in full swing, and the league’s young players are continuing to make promising improvements. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. are on a mission to help their teams climb the Western Conference. However, the two stars were comically called out by Carmelo […]

The Houston Rockets are gearing up for an exciting 2024-25 NBA season with a mix of veteran leadership and youthful potential. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are ready to compete for a postseason spot. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Cam Whitmore are more experienced. Alperen Sengun is poised to make an All-Star level leap […]

BOSTON, MA — The NBA Finals are upon us, and that means another year of NBA Player Correspondents. This year, the NBA kicked things off by having Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. in attendance for Game 1 of the series between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. For the 2023 NBA Finals, rookies Bennedict […]

BOSTON, MA — For the most part, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is still seen as a member of the younger generation of NBA players. Despite being a five-time All-Star with seven regular seasons under his belt, Tatum hasn’t even turned 27. Yet, his postseason experience has helped him shed his “rookie” status. The St. […]

After an on-court altercation with Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn on Saturday, Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was suspended for one game. The scuffle occurred early in the second quarter after the two got physical at the top of the key as the Rockets brought the ball up the court. Dunn threw the first […]

Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. threw punches at each other during the Rockets’ 147-119 home win on Saturday. After the game, Dunn said he would accept the inevitable punishment coming his way for the scuffle. “[We] exchanged a couple words, a couple pushes, and the next thing you […]

Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was one that Houston Rockets players and fans would wish to forget. Leading by as much as 16 points during the second quarter, the Rockets faltered and allowed the opposition to claim a 123-110 victory in front of a dismayed Toyota Center. As the postgame discussions ensued, Rockets […]

The NBA All-Star break has finally arrived. With a prime opportunity to end the break on a high note, the Houston Rockets stumbled in a winnable game against the Memphis Grizzlies, concluding the first half of the season with a 24-30 record. Since January 15th, Houston has dropped out of the playoff picture, recording a […]

The Houston Rockets’ GM Rafael Stone spoke recently on the success of his young stars Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, and judging by his comments his expectations are high for both players. The Rockets’ potential offseason plans were recently spotlighted. Injuries to Sengun and Cam Whitmore have caused static within the Rockets’ team and organization […]

The Rockets knocked off the Pistons on Monday in a 23-point win that has NBA fans buzzing. The Rockets put up 136 points on a night when Coach Ime Udoka’s team showed off its incredible potential as one of the most talented teams in the Western Conference. The Rockets withstood a 19-point barrage from Pistons […]

The Houston Rockets are on a two-game losing skid. Ime Udoka and his squad hope to turn things around against the Philadelphia 76ers as Joel Embiid is not playing. But, they will still need some reinforcements to come back to climb up the Western Conference standings. Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks are players who […]

HOUSTON – Injuries are always detrimental, particularly for players who make an impact on both ends of the court. The Houston Rockets recently faced this challenge when forward Dillon Brooks suffered an oblique injury in a loss at home against the Indiana Pacers. This was followed by Jabari Smith Jr. spraining his ankle in another […]

The elite defense has returned. After falling behind by as many as seven points, the Houston Rockets stayed in Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with unstoppable defense in the final stretches. On a career-high night, Alperen Sengun and the Rockets narrowly defeated a fully healthy Pelicans team on the road, securing a tight […]

HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets really had a chance to spoil this historic night. During the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo passed NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most rebounds in Milwaukee Bucks history. On top of that, the newly acquired Damian Lillard scored 39, and both Rockets forward Dillon Brooks and coach Ime Udoka were ejected after […]

The Houston Rockets may not have convinced pundits that they were ready to take the next step into becoming playoff contenders with their offseason moves, but their play during the 2023-24 season certainly has. On Wednesday night, thanks to two Rockets draft picks from the class of 2022, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, they […]

In a back-and-forth game at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets found themselves on the losing end, falling to the Dallas Mavericks 121-115. This loss not only eliminates the Rockets from the In-Season Tournament, but also extends their road woes. In addition to being 8-7 on the season, Houston is now 0-6 […]

Houston, do we have a playoff team? Folks, this is a question we need to start asking, because the Houston Rockets look like a team on the ascent. And really, wasn’t that the entire point of going out and hiring Ime Udoka? Wasn’t that the point of signing Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks? Isn’t this […]

Jabari Smith Jr. has been commonly compared to Kevin Durant since bursting onto nationwide basketball scene as a freshman at Auburn in 2021-22. Now in his second year with the Houston Rockets, Smith doesn’t quite project as the all-court scoring force that’s made Durant one of the greatest players in NBA history. Still, his smooth […]

The newly retooled Houston Rockets are 6-3 on the young NBA season and turning heads as one of the most exciting and talented young teams in the league. Coach Ime Udoka is helping to shift the perspective of fans on the Rockets in leading them forward despite their youth. The All-Star Game merits of Alperen […]

HOUSTON – The 126-121 loss in overtime against the San Antonio Spurs was certainly winnable to say the least. However, due to costly plays by expected stars in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. down the stretch, the Houston Rockets now face a 0-2 hole to start the season, with a home opener set on […]

It’s confirmed. Victor Wembanyama is him. The San Antonio Spurs rookie is off to a promising start to begin his NBA career, showing well in preseason and then having a solid regular season debut a couple of nights ago. While there’s no question Wemby will have a bit of growing pains as he gets used […]

Every NBA season, we’ve seen growth across the entire league not only pertaining to teams taking a step in the right direction, but players ascending from secondary talents to primary contributors for their organization. This upcoming season, many players will once again prove that their hard work during the offseason paid off, as a slew […]

The Houston Rockets are scheduled to take on Orlando in the Magic Kingdom on October 25, tipping off the 2023-2024 NBA season in Florida. It should be an exciting one for the Rockets regardless of their finish, as the team is loaded with young talent as well as controversial defensive stalwart Dillon Brooks, who arrived […]

The 2023-24 NBA season is almost here with training camps set to open at the end of the month. For many NBA teams, the starting lineup is not set in stone. Training camp and preseason will likely decide who gets into the starting lineup once the regular season begins. For one of those teams, the […]

Houston Rockets forward-center Jabari Smith Jr. knows that there will be a lot of eyes on him next season as he looks to bounce back from a rough rookie campaign. A fast riser on draft boards early in his freshman year at Auburn, Smith looked like a shadow of the player he was projected to […]

Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets has recently been watching the show called “Quarterback” on Netflix, and got brutally honest about the difficulty of the position in a tweet he put out reacting to the show. “I’m watching quarterback on Netflix… quarterback is definitely the hardest position in ALL of sports. This is crazy […]

After adding a couple of household names to elevate the team defensively and amassing one of the best young cores in the NBA, the Houston Rockets and their fans can’t wait for the 2023-24 season to start. Especially with Rockets face of the franchise Jalen Green locked-in all summer, looking to take his game to […]

LAS VEGAS — As is the case every single year, basketball fans from around the world travel to NBA Summer League in order to watch the top incoming talents, especially the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. Victor Wembanyama was the headliner everyone flocked to see during the first weekend of Summer League. After […]