Ryan Anderson to Sign with Rockets: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Ryan Anderson missed the New Orleans Pelicans' last 14 games with yet another nagging injury. But despite a growing list of ailments, the veteran forward has landed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Houston Rockets.  

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported terms of the agreement, which can become official July 7. Marc Stein of ESPN received confirmation of the deal from Octagon, which represents the power forward.

Anderson, 28, averaged 17 points and six rebounds per game last season, recovering from a dismal 2014-15 campaign to become a Sixth Man of the Year contender. Although the award went to Jamal Crawford, Anderson finished in sixth place.

Despite his strong performance, the 2015-16 season was a mess for the Pelicans. They got off to a 1-11 start and never recovered, finishing 30-52. Anderson, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans—their best five players—all sat out as the year came to a close with nagging injuries.

Anderson underwent season-ending surgery for a sports hernia. He also dealt with an MCL sprain and missed two games in December. Despite the frustrating season, Anderson told J.J. Redick on his podcast for The Vertical that he was excited for free agency. 

“I’m excited for this summer to kind of be an unrestricted free agent, finally, and feel things out, have my decision be the one that matters,” Anderson told Redick, per Brett Dawson of the Advocate. “Really (in 2012) every other team thought Orlando was going to re-sign me, and New Orleans was the only team that made an offer for me, and we ended up making a sign-and-trade and I went to New Orleans.”

Now, the Pelicans' core won't get a chance to come together.

Anderson was always bound for a huge raise. The NBA's cap boom has increased salaries around the league. Guys who stretch the floor from the 4 spot are more essential than ever, and Anderson has bombed threes since the moment he walked into the league (37.7 percent career shooter from deep).

Setting a full-season career high in points will help matters (Anderson averaged 19.8 per game in 2013-14 but in 22 games), and he's still relatively young.

The Rockets can slot him in as a more reliable stretch 4 than Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejunas under coach Mike D'Antoni. Anderson may flourish in D'Antoni's uptempo system, which emphasizes spacing and three-point shooting. 

The signing will also help fill the offensive void in the frontcourt Dwight Howard left. ESPN's Chris Broussard reported Howard agreed to terms on a three-year, $70.5 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.

If he were generally healthy, Anderson might have inked a longer-term pact. He has missed at least 15 games in all but two of his eight seasons. But the length of this deal should allow Anderson to get back out on the market one more time with the potential for big money.