Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets waived Luis Scola, making
the forward their amnesty player Friday amid reports they are looking to trade
for Dwight Howard.
Scola has played all five of his NBA seasons for the Rockets, averaging 14.5
points and 7.7 rebounds in 386 games.
"Decisions like this are never easy, especially when it involves a player with
the character and work ethic of Luis Scola," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander
said in a statement.
"Luis is a special player whose winning qualities embodied what it means to be
a Houston Rocket. His accomplishments in a Rockets uniform speak for
themselves and we wish him all the best in the future."
Losing Scola via the amnesty provision cleared cap space the Rockets could use
to absorb contracts, which is what ESPN.com said the Rockets were doing in an
attempt to land Howard, the disgruntled Orlando Magic center who has been the
topic of trade rumors for a while.
The website said the Rockets could take on the contracts of Glen Davis, Jason
Richardson and Chris Duhon in a trade, letting the Magic clear their payroll
to rebuild.
The Sports Network