# Rockets Sign Baxter



## ds RocketS (Sep 1, 2005)

*Houston Rockets Sign Lonny Baxte*r

HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets have signed free agent forward Lonny Baxter to a contract, General Manager Carroll Dawson announced today. Terms of the agreement were not released per team policy.

The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward has averaged 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 121 career games with Chicago, Toronto, Washington and New Orleans. This past summer, Baxter participated in the Rockets summer league in Minnesota. Baxter averaged 21.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in five games, helping Houston go undefeated in the contests. 

Before being selected by the Bulls in the 2002 NBA Draft, Baxter played at Maryland for four years and was one of the key performers on the 2002 NCAA championship team.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

Baxter is just a training camp material, I doubt he can make the team


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

This is a guy who got cut by the Hornets last year. I doubt he sticks around long.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

nah he's got a chance, he's improved and have been very impressive in the summer leagues. Will probably make the team as an IR.


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## sherwin (Mar 21, 2005)

Yao Mania said:


> nah he's got a chance, he's improved and have been very impressive in the summer leagues. Will probably make the team as an IR.


Wouldn't we have to cut someone since the roster is full? Is the IR still around?


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

Ill take him over Ryan Bowen


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

sherwin said:


> Wouldn't we have to cut someone since the roster is full? Is the IR still around?


from Houston Chronicle:



> With Baxter, the Rockets have 16 players signed to guaranteed contracts and will eventually make a move to get down to the NBA maximum of 15.
> 
> They could use players who did not play last season in the last seasons of their contract — including perhaps Moochie Norris and Vin Baker — in a two-for-one deal with a team looking to move a long-term deal to get salary-cap relief next summer.
> 
> The Rockets also could buy out a player, though a move like that likely would not come until well into training camp.


http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3346128


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## rogue (Jul 5, 2005)

darkballa said:


> Ill take him over Ryan Bowen


That's not gonna happen, JVG is sold on Bowen, and he does contribute defensively. But I think Lonny has a decent chance to make the team and get through camp and the beginning of the season, remember Jeff cut Andre Barret last year after he made the team, and then bam two months into the season he got cut but Ward stayed??? I'm hoping this is the last we even see of Charlie Ward on our bench, the fact that the guy couldn't even bring the ball up and gets paid millions just irks me. I'd rather have a young guy who's athletic and can learn in a system than some old dude who can't pull a Dke and find the fountain of youth. I just hope he can show Jeff something on the defensive side of the ball, that's the only way he and Luther will be on this team by xmas. They keep talking about a 2 for 1 deal, we can't just assume its Baker/Norris/Ward. It could be Head/Baker/Baxter, I just hope CD and Jeff have better sense than that. Lets try to stock our bench with young guys and proven I say proven veterans. :cheers:


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## c_dog (Sep 15, 2002)

Baxter is a hard worker and actually a very excellent rebounder. you can pretty much compare him to Reggie Evans, 6'8 powerforward with a knack for getting rebounds. what he lacks in skill he makes up with effort. i don't expect him to log heavy minutes, but i expect him to contribute with efficiency when he steps on the court. with swift and juwan it's not like he'll be playing all that much.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

..

I could see him making the team. Good signing.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Cmon guys, Ryan Bowen isn't getting cut. If we can't package Moochie and Ward in a 2 for 1 deal, one of them is getting cut. Baxter will definitely make the final 15 no matter how crappy he plays in the preseason, simply because we need big bodies.


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## sportkingJSP13 (Jul 11, 2005)

Rawse said:


> This is a guy who got cut by the Hornets last year. I doubt he sticks around long.


yea


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## sportkingJSP13 (Jul 11, 2005)

its not a bad signing bu yet its not a good one at all either. he wont be around long.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

sportkingJSP13 said:


> its not a bad signing bu yet its not a good one at all either. he wont be around long.



Care to explain why?

Personally I think Baxter is a good player and could prove it if someone gave him a chance.


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

as long as ward/baker/norris arent all on the rockets together i will be happy and i believe that lonny is a good signing to be our 3rd string big man at either the 4 or 5


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