2017 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Tarik Black: 1 year, $3.2 million (Houston Rockets)
Free agent forward Tarik Black has reached agreement to sign with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2017
Rockets are using the biannual exception ($3.2M) to sign Tarik Black, source says.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 14, 2017
Quite a few Houston Rockets fans were upset when their team waived the surprising Tarik Black — who averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in only 15.7 minutes per game — after 25 games back in 2014-15. They were even more upset when he immediately flourished for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though he’s not anything more than a depth play, especially with Zhou Qi set to join the roster and Nene back for another three years, Black played well in spots over the last two and a half years for Los Angeles and should be able to do the same for a Western power like the Rockets.
In his first half-season with the Lakers, Black averaged 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per game on 58.9 percent shooting — all career-highs. Having a player capable of that kind of production is well worth the biannual exception, especially with the free agency pool drying up.
Bourguet Grade: B-
HoopsHabit Grade: B+