Rockets pick up option on Brooks

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced tonight that the team has picked up the option on the contract of guard Aaron Brooks.

Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) led the Rockets this preseason in scoring average (14.4) and assists per game (4.1). He was the only Houston player to post two 20-point games this preseason, as well as topping the Rockets in assists a team-best four games. Brooks also registered a game-high 23 points (7-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 5-6 FT) vs. Sacramento (10/17/08). He holds a regular season career high of 22 points vs. New York (1/5/08), which includes a career-best four 3-pointers made.

Selected by Houston in the first round (26th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Brooks averaged 5.2 points and 1.7 assists in 51 games of his rookie season with the Rockets. He was also one of the top-10 young NBA players named to a USA Basketball Men’s Select Team that was chosen to help prepare the 2007 USA Senior National Team for its gold-medal run at the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. In addition, Brooks earned T-Mobile Rookie of the Month honors for 2007 NBA Summer League.

Rockets' Brooks out with ankle contusion

Houston Rockets guard Aaron Brooks has been diagnosed with a bone contusion in the right ankle and is expected to miss 1-3 weeks with the injury.

Rockets waive Harris; Jazz cut two

The Houston Rockets waived forward Mike Harris.

Harris (6-6, 240, Rice) averaged 3.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in three preseason games this year. In his rookie NBA season, Harris averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17 games with the Rockets in 2007-08. The former standout at Rice University was also a third-overall selection in the 2006 D-League Draft by Colorado.

Meanwhile, Utah waived forwards Kevin Lyde and Gabe Muoneke.

Lyde appeared in three preseason contests with the Jazz, averaging 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.3 minutes. Muoneke recorded four preseason games, registering 1.3 points and 0.8 rebounds in 7.5 minutes a game.