HOUSTON - It appears that the first player waived
under the NBA's amnesty program has found a new home.
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that guard Derek Anderson has
agreed to a two-year contract with the Houston Rockets.
According to the newspaper, Anderson will receive the Rockets'
smaller salary cap exception of $1.67 million in the first year.
The Portland Trail Blazers were the first team to use the
amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement when
they waived Anderson on August 3.
The move allowed the Trail Blazers to remove his $18.8 million
salary over the next two years from the team's luxury tax.
However, his figure will still count on the Blazers' salary cap.
Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams
have a one-time option of releasing a player and avoid paying
the luxury tax on that salary.
Anderson, 31, played in only eight of Portland's last 42 games
last season due to injuries, including back problems and a sinus
ailment. He averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists
in 47 games.
In 2003-04, Anderson missed 31 games due to a herniated disk and
averaged 13.6 points and 4.5 assists.
Portland acquired the 6-5 Anderson along with Steve Kerr from
San Antonio in a deal for Steve Smith in July 2001. In four
seasons with the Trail Blazers, Anderson played in 244 games and
averaged 12.0 points and 3.3 assists.