Thu Jul 03 19:10:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:
**Rockets to Waive Center Jock Landale, Expected to Join “Preferred Destination” After Clearing Waivers**
Houston, TX – The Houston Rockets are set to waive center Jock Landale, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. The move comes ahead of Landale’s $8 million salary for the 2025-26 season becoming guaranteed.
Landale, 29, signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Rockets in 2023, with only the first season fully guaranteed. While the Rockets kept him on the roster for the second year of the deal, playing him sparingly behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, his role was expected to diminish further.
“A number of teams have expressed interest in him,” reported The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. Charania added that Landale is expected to sign with his “preferred destination” once he clears waivers.
Last season, Landale averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game across 42 appearances (three starts). With Sengun and Adams returning, and the recent acquisition of Clint Capela, Landale’s place in the rotation was virtually nonexistent, making his $8 million salary expendable for the Rockets. While Landale and the team pushed back the salary guarantee deadline to July 7th, the move was expected as the Rockets look to manage a roster that’s becoming increasingly expensive.
First Piper 