Christian Wood will become a free agent in 2023, which could compel the Houston Rockets to entertain trade offers for him.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer writes that the Houston Rockets are expected to "receive significant trade interest" in Wood if they make him available.

Wood signed with the Rockets in 2020 thinking he would join James Harden on a contending team. Wood is on a $13.67 million contract this season and $14.32 million deal in 22-23.

Wood is averaging 16.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season for the Rockets. 

John Wall met with Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas about returning to the lineup of the Houston Rockets.

“Rafael (Stone, the Rockets general manager) and I did meet with John (on Sunday) and he had indicated that he wants to play and work towards that so right now we’re in that phase as far as getting him back in game shape,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “He’s been doing a lot of one-on-oh type stuff and one-on-one type stuff but nothing up and down, nothing four-on-four, five-on-five.

“Right now is the ramp-up time. That’ll probably take a couple weeks. We’ll continue our conversations and try to determine what it looks like.”

Before the season, Wall agreed with Houston's plan to have him sit out while they pursue a trade. Wall has since begun lobbying directly to Stone and on social media to begin playing.

“That’s part of the discussions we’re going to be having,” Silas said. “Yesterday was discussion No. 1. That was very much centered around him getting to a place he can play in an NBA game. He’s in great shape.

“He is diligent as far as his work. He’s been positive and all that stuff. But as far as getting in game shape, our guys have had training camp and they’ve been practicing and they had games. He hasn’t had any of that. Right now, it’s about getting him to that point.”

Silas said it would be a goal to have Wall ready and available to play though there are additional considerations.

“Yeah, if he’s able to play,” Silas said. “It has to be good for everybody. It has to be good for him. It has to be good for our organization. It has to be good for our group. There’s more to it than just one conversation and getting ready to play and now you play.

“There’s what does the role look like? What does it look like for the group? What does it look like for everybody? We’re at stage one.”

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent center DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins, 31, is a 10-year NBA veteran with averages of 20.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocked shots in 606 career regular season games with the Kings, Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets and Clippers.

“DeMarcus is incredibly talented and his size, toughness and experience will help us,” said Jon Horst. “He will provide added depth to our front court rotation and we look forward to working him into our system.”

Cousins most recently played in 41 games (11 starts) last season with Houston (25 games, 11 starts) and the Los Angeles Clippers (16 games), combining to average 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.4 minutes per game.

The Golden State Warriors are back on top of the NBA to open the season, but the journey back to the top has been a challenging one. In a candid interview, Curry admitted he understood why many had doubts the Warriors would get back to their winning ways.

“Well, why would they think we could?” Curry said. “We had some of the worst situations happen with (Kevin Durant) getting hurt and leaving, Klay (Thompson) being out and then his Achilles, and our brand of basketball looked different with who was out there on the court.”

Curry admitted he had some personal struggles alongside Golden State's struggles as a team.

“Watching the bubble was the lowest point of those two years,” Curry said. “There was a part of me that felt it was nice to get refreshed, and a part of me really missed playing on that stage. That was the first time in seven years of not being in the playoffs. We know each player had their own experiences in the bubble, but I would have loved to have been there competing. I would say that was the lowest point in terms of my basketball experience because I felt so far away from it. This is what I love to do.”

The Milwaukee Bucks will sign Ja'Vonte Smart of the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League to a Two-Way contract. Smart has averaged 22 points per game in the G League this season.

The Bucks will waive Justin Robinson to create a roster spot for Smart.

Udonis Haslem already expressed his admiration for Nikola Jokic as a basketball player and the need to move on from the incident with Markieff Morris. However, that didn't stop Haslem from issuing a warning to Jokic's brothers.

"I keep hearing about the Jokic brothers buying tickets to come to the game. They better stay in line and don’t come down there and start trouble. Miami is my city. It’s my city," Haslem said.

After Morris delivered a hard foul to Jokic in a game in mid-November, Jokic shoved Morris to the ground. That altercation resulted in Jokic being suspended for a game, while Morris has missed several games due to whiplash. There was also some fallout between Jokic's brothers and the Morris twins on social media due to the incident.

Haslem said that's all the past and it's over with.

"We’re going to play a basketball game...That’s my city," said Haslem. "Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing...Ain’t nobody messing with your brother. We come to play basketball."

Isaiah Thomas acknowledged getting back to the NBA remains his primary goal. In the meantime, Thomas will settle for leading Team USA to victories in 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifying.

Thomas scored 21 points, including a game-clinching three-pointer with 13.3 seconds left as Team USA won their opening qualifier. That shot gave the USA a 93-88 lead over Cuba. The United States erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to get the win.

Following the game, Thomas said he's open to playing overseas, if he can't land a deal in the NBA.

“For me, personally, the ultimate goal is to get back in the NBA,” Thomas said. “But I just love playing the game of basketball. So, obviously, at some point, if the NBA isn’t an option I’ve got to look at options overseas. But I’m in love with the game. No matter where I’m playing, I have no pride whatsoever. I love competing and I love playing against the best players in the world.”

The Toronto Raptors have granted guard Goran Dragic permission to leave the team. Dragic will be away indefinitely while he attends to a personal matter.

"Goran is taking some time away from the team, with our full support, to manage a personal matter," Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said in a team statement.

Dragic was traded to Toronto as part of the transaction that saw Kyle Lowry signed-and-traded to the Miami Heat. Dragic expressed disappointment in being traded to the Raptors and many assumed he would seek a buyout or another trade. Dragic has played in just five of Toronto's first 20 games this season.

John Wall met with Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas about returning to play for the team. Unfortunately, that Sunday meeting didn't yield an agreement on Wall's return.

The holdup appears to be a difference in opinion on what Wall's role with the team should be. Wall would like a chance to start, while the Rockets would like the former All-Star to come off the bench. Houston sees Wall as a backup for young guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

Wall initially agreed with the Rockets brass that he wouldn't play this season, while the team looked for a trade. Wall has over $44 million on his deal for this season and player option for $47 million for 2022-23. That's made finding a trade partner nearly impossible for Houston.

John Wall has yet to take the floor the season for the Houston Rockets. That may be about to change, as Wall has told the Rockets he wants to play. Wall and General Manager Rafael Stone will continue to talk about how they can get the guard on the court.

Wall and Houston had mutually agreed before the season started that he wouldn't play while the team tried to find a trade for him. Wall is owed $44.3 million for 2021-22 and he has a player option for $47.4 million for 2022-23. That's made finding a trade partner nearly impossible for the Rockets.

In recent days, Wall has been active on social media saying he wants to play. Assuming an agreement that can be made where Wall plays, but Houston still features their young, long-term prospects, the former All-Star point guard may soon get his wish.