Ryan Anderson didn’t play a ton of basketball last season. The sharpshooting forward was traded by the Houston Rockets to the Phoenix Suns, for whom he played in 15 games before he was flipped to the Miami Heat prior to the NBA trade deadline. He didn’t play a ton in Miami, either, appearing in 10 games before getting waived by the Heat via their stretch provision.
For a player who signed a four-year, $80 million extension during the summer of 2016, Anderson hit the open market a bit early. He’s still getting paid on that deal, and now, a reunion between Anderson and the team that gave him that hefty deal is in the cards.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Anderson is headed back to Houston, as the player and the Rockets have agreed to a deal.
Free agent forward Ryan Anderson has agreed to a significantly partially guaranteed deal with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Anderson returns to Houston.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 25, 2019
While he has his limitations, especially on the defensive end of the floor, Anderson’s ability to stretch the floor is a valuable asset. He did not have a particularly great year shooting the ball in 2018-19, but with his lack of playing time, it’s not hard to understand why. Perhaps he’ll be able to contribute off the bench during this stint in Houston, but at the very least, he’s someone familiar with the organization and Mike D’Antoni’s system who is joining the squad on an ostensibly cheap deal.
