The Houston Rockets have decided not to bring back 64-year old head coach Rick Adelman for the 2011-12 season. Adelman led the Rockets to a 43-39 record (52.4%) in the 2010-11 season in which they missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Adelman was the Rockets’ head coach for four years and he compiled a 193-135 (58.8%) record during the regular season and he was 9-10 (47.4%) in the playoffs. The Rockets are going to be hard pressed to find a better coach than Adelman, so I’m not so sure I like this move for them.

The Rockets have signed 24-year old C/PF Marcus Cousin to a 3-year, non-guaranteed contract. Cousin played in 4 games (0 starts) earlier this year for the Utah Jazz and he averaged 4.5 minutes, 1.0 point and 0.8 rebounds per game. He also played in 46 games (45 starts) for the Austin Toros of the NBDL and he averaged 30.5 minutes, 14.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game. To make room on the roster for Cousin, the Rockets have waived 24-year old forward DeMarre Carroll. Carroll played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Rockets last year and he averaged 2.2 minutes per game and he didn’t score but had 2 assists. He played in 12 games (0 starts) overall this year for the Grizzlies & Rockets and he is averaging 4.2 minutes, 0.8 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Carroll was part of the Rockets’ return in the Shane Battier deal.

The Houston Rockets have sent 24-year old center Hasheem Thabeet to the D-League. He played in 2 games (0 starts) for the Rockets since the deal with the Grizzlies in which he has played 4 scoreless minutes with 1 blocked shot and 3 fouls. The Rockets feel that Thabeet will be better off getting P.T. in the D-League than sitting at the end of their bench for the playoff run.

The Houston Rockets have bought out 29-year old forward Jared Jeffries. Jeffries played in 18 games (0 starts) for the Rockets this season and he averaged 7.7 minutes, 1.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. He played in 36 games (0 starts) in parts of two years with the Rockets and he averaged 13.1 minutes, 3.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Jeffries will likely get snapped up right away by a team like the Knicks, but he was just taking up roster space with the Rockets.

The Rockets have dealt 26-year old point guard Aaron Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for 24-year old point guard Goran Dragic and a first round pick. Brooks played in 34 games (7 starts) for the Rockets this season and he averaged 23.9 minutes 11.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He was only shooting 34.6% from the floor and 28.4% from the three point line this season and he’s way better than that. Brooks’ biggest problem this season was getting hurt early in the year, because Kyle Lowry took his starting job over while he was out of action. Brooks played in 247 games (124 starts) in his 4 years with the Rockets in which he averaged 25.7 minutes, 12.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Goran Dragic will be Kyle Lowry’s new caddy. Dragic played in 48 games (2 starts) for the Suns this season and he was averaging 17.8 minutes, 7.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He has now played in 183 games (5 starts) in his first three years in the NBA and he is averaging 16.5 minutes, 6.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Dragic is more suited for backup duty than Brooks is, plus the Rockets netted another first round pick in this deal. I like this trade from the Rockets’ side of things.