The Phoenix Suns have one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA, and a lot of that is down to the team acquiring Bradley Beal in the offseason to pair him with Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. As such, Phoenix needed to find value wherever he could during free agency in order to build a roster, with one guy seen as an option in the frontcourt being Jock Landale.
An undrafted former free agent from Saint Mary’s who began his professional career overseas before spending the 2021-22 season with the San Antonio Spurs, Landale has emerged as a reliable option on the bench behind Ayton. However, while he was expected to be held back given the relative lack of options for Suns roster upgrades with their cap space, just before the agency opened free, startling news broke that Phoenix was withdrawing Landale’s qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent. .
In a turn of events, Phoenix plans to withdraw qualifying offer for center Jock Landale, league sources say @YahooSportswhich would make Landale a free agent.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 30, 2023
A day later, Landale became the last player to go to the Houston Rockets. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Landale was signed to a 4-year, $32 million deal with Houston, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noting that only the first year of the contract is guaranteed.
Free agent Jock Landale has agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources say @TheAthletic @Stadium. Agents Sammy Wloszczowski and Michael Lelchitski of @SIGSports negotiated the new contract for Landale.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2023
The Rockets have agreed free agent center Jock Landale to a four-year, $32 million deal – with only the first season guaranteed, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrien Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Landale, who turns 28 in October, stayed in Phoenix last season due to his energy and basketball IQ at both ends of the court, and was able to do a reliable job whenever he was on the court. land for Ayton. He played 69 games during the regular season and appeared in the starting lineup four times. Landale averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and one assist in 14.2 minutes per game and was successful on 52.8% of his field goal attempts.