HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets traded point guard Rafer Alston to Orlando and acquired Magic forward Brian Cook and Memphis guard Kyle Lowry on Thursday, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
Memphis also received the Magic’s first-round draft pick as part of the deal, said the people, who requested anonymity because the trade had not been announced by any of the teams.
The three-team swap came one day after Rockets star Tracy McGrady announced on his Web site that he’ll have season-ending microfracture surgery on his troublesome left knee.
The Magic, meanwhile, needed an experienced point guard after Jameer Nelson suffered a potentially season-ending shoulder injury Feb. 2.
The 6-foot-2 Alston practiced with the Rockets on Thursday but left before the session was opened to the media. He was averaging 11.5 points and 5.4 assists this season and had 24 assists in Houston’s last two games, both Rockets victories.
The Rockets are 33-21, second in the Southwest Division, but sixth overall in the Western Conference.
The loss of Alston likely pushes Aaron Brooks into the starting point-guard role. Brooks is averaging 10.3 points and 2.6 assists in 52 games, but he’s only made seven starts.
Alston was due to make $4.9 million this season and $5.25 million next season, the last year of his contract with Houston. The Rockets acquired him in an October 2005 trade with Toronto.
The move reunites Alston with Coach Stan Van Gundy, who led Miami when Alston played for the Heat in 2003-04. Alston played for Jeff Van Gundy, Stan’s brother, in his first two seasons with the Rockets.
The 6-foot Lowry is averaging 7.6 points and 3.6 assists in 49 games. The former Villanova star was the Grizzlies’ first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2006 draft.
The 6-9 Cook is averaging only 3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 21 games for the Magic this season.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
