HOUSTON -- Guard Mike Woodson, who led the Los Angeles Clippers in scoring the last two seasons, Tuesday signed a five-year contract with the Houston Rockets, his fifth NBA team since joining the league in 1980.
Woodson's signing reunites him with Rockets Coach Don Chaney, who was head coach of the Clippers for two seasons.
Chaney, who took over the Rockets in June, said one of his immediate needs was to acquire a quality shooting guard.
'I have one of the pieces of the puzzle here now,' Chaney said. 'Mike, as of now, will be starting at the off-guard spot.'
Woodson's signing was made possible by the Monday trade of Robert Reid and a 1990 draft pick to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Bernard Thompson. The Rockets needed to unload Reid's $475,000-a-year salary to make room for Woodson under the NBA's salary cap.
The 6-foot-5 Woodson said he wanted to leave the Clippers, who have had little success in the NBA.
'It was a very frustrating situation,' he said. 'This (Houston) is a team I felt I could play for. They're a team that has been there before (the Rockets reached the NBA finals in 1986) and they have the premier center (Akeem Olajuwon) in the NBA. It's a team with a lot of talent.'
Woodson said the Clippers, Indianapolis, Detroit and Cleveland also showed interest in him.
'Don had a lot to do with me coming here,' said Woodson, who will be expected to hit the outside shot the Rockets have sorely lacked. 'I know what he expects and he knows what I can do.'
Chaney plans to move Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd to the point guard position from the off-guard spot, but has not spoken to Floyd since being named head coach.
'I'm going to give Sleepy every opportunity to play at point guard,' Chaney said. 'I think he can make that change.'
Woodson averged 17.1 points and 2.7 assists per game last year with the Clippers, and has scored 9,477 points in his career. He has not averaged less than 15 points a game in six of the last seven seasons, and has not shot less than .800 from the free throw line in each of the last five season.
Woodson, who played at Indiana, was drafted by New York in 1980, then traded the next year to New Jersey. He was later traded to Kansas City (now Sacramento) and then sent to the Clippers in 1986.
Chaney, and General Manager Ray Patterson, said the Rockets may not be through dealing yet.
'When I first got here, I said we needed a shooting guard and now we've got him,' Chaney said. 'We also needed a power forward and we're still looking for that other piece. We've had some nibbles.'
The Rockets are considering Moses Malone, who helped Houston to the 1981 NBA finals. The Rockets would have to trade some players currently on the roster to get Malone, who has been with the Washington Bullets, under the salary cap. Under that scenario, Olajuwon would move to the foward position, a move he reportedly has said he does not oppose.
Chaney said he is aware the Rockets currently have 13 players on the roster. 'We will be able to move several players to get that player (power forward) if we have to,' he said.
