Last season, the Houston Rockets had two starting quality point guards competing for the full-time job. Next year, they will have one, plus a host of back-up options, including a brand new one.
The Houston Chronicle reported on Tuesday that the Rockets are expected to sign undrafted guard Scott Machado to a "3-year, partially guaranteed" contract later this week.
"They know I’m a great passer," Machado said. "I feel like every day I progressed and got better just getting more comfortable and more used to the style of play and the pace of the game, the players around me."
Machado, 22, played for Houston's Las Vegas Summer League Team, where he averaged 8.0 points, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He spent four seasons at Iona, where he was named MAAC Player of the Year in 2012, but went undrafted in 2012.
Rockets coach Kevin McHale had to juggle the two-headed monster of Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic in 2011-12, a situation that led Lowry to publicly express a "me or him" ultimatum after the season ended. Next season, free-agent signee Jeremy Lin steps into the starting job after Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors and Dragic was allowed to leave for the Phoenix Suns in free agency.
Depending on how Houston's roster shakes out, Machado could compete for minutes behind Lin with Shaun Livingston, who was acquired in a summer trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, combo guard Toney Douglas, acquired in a trade from the New York Knicks, and Courtney Fortson, who joined the Rockets during the 2011-12 season.
In Las Vegas, Machado played with a number of players who are expected to be on Houston's roster next season: Fortson, Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Jones, Marcus Morris, Donatas Motiejunas, Chandler Parsons and Royce White.
