FanHouse DarylMorey

The biggest free agent on the market this year just got inked. Kind of. Though he wasn't going anywhere, Daryl Morey's been working without a contract since the end of last season. And today, the Houston Chronicle reports, the Rockets have finalized a deal that will keep him with the team through 2013.

So given the new timeline for Morey and his prior success, what are the odds Morey nabs an Executive of the Year award by the time his next contract is up?

In our inaugural edition of the NBA Twitter mailbag, we've got some interesting topics to get us started. How will Shaq's ego fit in Cleveland? Is Kevin Durant getting the attention he deserves? And what's left on the Celtics' summer to-do list?

These questions and more, answered for you below.

The Rockets have targeted Orlando center Marcin Gortat as a desirable pick-up. Whether this had been the plan all along, or whether Yao Ming's injury has forced management's hand(s), it doesn't matter. It only matters that the Rockets are seriously serious about landing Gortat, who caddied for Dwight Howard this season.

How serious? Right around midnight, Houston GM Daryl Morey posted a message on Facebook and Twitter imploring Rockets fans to tell Gortat how much they love him.

A true minor league system, something similar to what has allowed Major League Baseball to thrive, has seemed a natural for the NBA for years.

Perhaps the league with the most underdeveloped young talent is on the brink of landmark movement.

The Houston Rockets announced Monday they are entering into a single-affiliation partnership with their NBA D-League squad, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, making them the first such NBA team to do so. Under this agreement, the Rockets will take over the Vipers basketball operations, while Alonzo Cantu and his local ownership group in Rio Grande Valley will continue to oversee the business operation. Rockets GM Daryl Morey will oversee the Vipers basketball operations starting this upcoming season.

UPDATE: Rockets doctor Tom Clanton confirms report.

Dire news out of Houston, if reputable Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! has the right information. The Rockets announced last week that Yao Ming would remain out "indefinitely" -- in other words, the broken foot suffered in the playoffs that was set to be healed by now has not healed. But there's plenty of time until opening night, right?

Maybe not enough time. Woj reports the prognosis could have Yao on the bench for all of 2009-10, and there's a chance his basketball career is completely finished. The info comes from general managers who have talked trade with Houston GM Daryl Morey over the past weeks.

HOUSTON -- Unexpected achievement in the face of incredible adversity isn't quite how the Houston Rockets saw their playoff run unfolding.

But that was certainly the theme that carried the Rockets, minus injured stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, to within one game of reaching the Western Conference finals this season. One amazing night by McGrady or just the presence of aging Dikembe Mutombo in the paint might have been all the Rockets needed to avoid a Game 7 Semifinals in Los Angeles and overcome the Lakers.

It wasn't meant to be, but still it was enough to re-energize a franchise that seemed in serious trouble a few weeks ago because of it's often-injured stars and nondescript supporting cast. The Rockets hadn't been out of the first round of the playoffs in 12 years prior to this season.

Earlier, I linked to Michael Lewis' treatment of Houston GM Daryl Morey and "no stats All-Star" Shane Battier. The topic has been all over the basketball blog world all day. Needless to say, fans have thirsted for this type of detailed look into the seedy Underworld of advanced basketball metrics. (I can dream, right?)

But the other continually epic story this weekend (All-Star Weekend aside) is the Amare Stoudemire Derby. Houston hasn't really been mentioned in any of the rumors, but it's worth assessing what Morey might think about S.T.A.T., based on what we learned in the Times story.

The New York Times has published an absolute must-read written by Michael Lewis (of Moneyball fame). The story considers Rockets GM Daryl Morey's analytical judgment in Houston, with Shane Battier as the central protagonist.

Battier, we're told, is one of the best players in the NBA. (I need no convincing.) More affecting than the details as to why Battier is so good for his team despite underwhelming basic stats are Morey's general statements about the state of our basketball understanding.

Oh, what a day it has been.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a deal is in place for the Sacramento Kings to send volatile guard forward Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets, in exchange for Bobby Jackson, a first round pick, and an additional player not yet named. Sources suggest it is most likely rookie forward Donte Greene.

When I talked to Daryl Morey at Summer League, I asked him if 90% of the trade rumors were false. He replied "Oh, 100%." I also asked if he felt like the Rockets roster was finished. He replied "We'll see." I guess we have.

The addition is both exciting and puzzling. On the exciting side, this is Morey's first major deal, and possibly the one acquisition to get this team into the championship contention that has so long escaped it. It's puzzling because the Rockets already have a defensive guard forward, and an excellent one in Shane Battier. This now brings the possibility of a Tracy McGrady, Artest, Battier, Luis Scola, Yao Ming lineup. And that just makes my brain hurt.

For the Kings, if the Lakers weren't going to take Kenny Thomas (woof), they weren't going to take Kenny Thomas (woof). The Kings wanted a shooter guard, a slasher wing, and a draft pick. They got it. They could have gone for the homerun big star, but they're looking at their long-term cap flexibility. The Kings are going to be considered the "losers" in this trade, but if you analyze the different goals of both teams, it's a win-win.

The Tru Warier and the Dynasty. Get your tickets.

Most league observers spent the week calling Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr an idiot. (Guilty.) Daryl Morey, statboy general manager of the Houston Rockets, had another description in mind, as told to Jason Friedman of the Houston Press.

"Well, not to steal from a former player here, but Steve Kerr has big balls [laughs]. I don't think he'd be lumped into Bill Simmons's No Balls Association."

ESPN's Simmons, of course, penned a rather infamous column last February which lamented the lack of trade movement in the league. The theory GMs are too timid has sort been shot to hell this year as Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal and Shawn Marion have all been traded with more moving stars apparently on their way to new domains. But it was certainly a fair criticism a year ago -- Anthony Johnson for a pick was our big deadline day move! -- which perhaps got some of the league's attention.