K.J. McDaniels Traded to Nets, Rockets Open Up Salary Cap Space

The Houston Rockets traded swingman K.J. McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported the news. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported the Nets will absorb McDaniels into their cap space.

McDaniels, 24, signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Rockets in July 2015. He had played in just 29 games this season, as Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni found little use for him in Houston's three-heavy rotation.

The move will give Houston around $3.3 million in cap space, per Spotrac.

A revelation during a 52-game stint during his rookie season in Philadelphia, McDaniels never regained his rhythm after a trade to Houston at the 2015 deadline. He started a total of one game with the Rockets and played in just 76 games total, as coaches struggled with how to utilize his skill set.

The Nets, languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, might be just the franchise to resuscitate McDaniels' career. Their lack of forward push will allow them to put McDaniels on the floor to develop, and he showed flashes of being a defensive menace in Philly. It's unlikely McDaniels will ever become much more than a rotation player off the bench, but as B/R's Howard Beck notes, it's a smart asset play:

Houston's motivation here is solely financial. The Rockets can now be players on the veteran buyout market, and ridding themselves of salary could give them a leg up on other contenders. While the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and others are capped out, Houston can offer that $3.3 million prorated to the top player who becomes available.

That little difference might be enough to help put Houston over the top as Golden State's top contender in the West.