Rockets Sign Sedale Threatt

The Houston Rockets, depleted at guard by injuries and a failed bid to trade for Derek Harper, signed 13-year NBA veteran Sedale Threatt for the rest of the season.

Threatt, 35, has not played since having surgery in October for tendinitis in his knee. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 assists in 82 games with the Lakers last season.

“He plays both guard positions, which gives us a lot of flexibility to use him in different sets,” said Carroll Dawson, the Rockets’ executive vice president of basketball.

The Rockets tried signing Harper as a free agent in the off-season, but he returned to Dallas, where he began his career. As new Maverick General Manager Don Nelson overhauled the team, he tried sending Harper to Houston, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. Days later, starting point guard Brent Price injured his knee and was lost for the season. Clyde Drexler and Emanual Davis also are hobbled.

Threatt has been on the market since last summer, when the Lakers cleared room under the salary cap to make room for O’Neal. Before that, Threatt played for Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle.

He picked the Rockets over the Miami Heat.

Contract details were not released, although television station KRIV reported late Friday that the Heat and the Rockets could offer Threatt only minimum contracts worth about $80,000 for the remainder of the season.