Rockets Deal For Thabeet, Dragic And Carroll

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired center Hasheem Thabeet, forward DeMarre Carroll and a future first-round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for forward/guard Shane Battier and guard Ishmael Smith. In a separate deal, the Rockets acquired guard Goran Dragic and draft considerations from the Phoenix Suns for guard Aaron Brooks.

“Shane is a winner on and off the court and his many contributions will be hard to replace,” said Morey. “His leadership and game preparation were unmatched in the league. Aaron was my first selection as a general manager and he put in a lot of hard work over the past few seasons to develop into a quality starter. We will miss them both on a professional and personal level.

“Hasheem is a recent second overall pick in the draft who addresses our need for increased size and interior defense. We view him as a young player with a large potential for growth. We have been interested in Goran dating back to the 2008 Draft. He is a tough, competitive guard with proven playoff experience who has matured into a solid point guard over the past few seasons. DeMarre is a hard-nosed player who is accustomed to playing in a fast-paced system similar to ours.”