Updated: December 21, 2011, 6:02 PM ET

Sources: Samuel Dalembert agrees

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive

The Houston Rockets have reached terms on a new contract with free-agent center Samuel Dalembert, according to sources close to the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com that Dalembert has agreed to a two-year deal worth $13.7 million -- $7 million this season and $6.7 million in 2012-13. But the Rockets have a team option for the second season that would allow them to buy out of the contract for a fee of $1.5 million.

Dalembert
Dalembert

Dalembert told Fox Sports Florida on Tuesday night that he was on the verge of re-signing with the Sacramento Kings, but the Kings issued a news release Wednesday afternoon saying they had withdrawn their offer to Dalembert.

The Rockets held a face-to-face visit with Dalembert early in free agency but made no secret that their dream target to replace the retired Yao Ming was Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol.

The Rockets thought they had Gasol, too, only for NBA commissioner David Stern to step in and veto a three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to the Lakers and Gasol to Houston.

Paul was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. With its No. 1 free-agent target Nene having also elected to re-sign with the Denver Nuggets, Houston moved Wednesday to seal a deal with Dalembert before Sacramento could finalize a deal to keep the Haiti native.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.

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  • NBAonESPN The NBA on ESPN
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  • DimeAlert Dime Alert
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    about an hour ago     
  • DimeUpdate Dime Update
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  • DimeUpdate Dime Update
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  • DimeAlert Dime Alert
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  • johnhollinger John Hollinger
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    Harrington has been the beneficiary of Clips' coverage/traps/rotations, but can't find the hoop with a miner's hat.
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  • NBAonESPN The NBA on ESPN
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  • DimeUpdate Dime Update
    The Clippers are just barely holding off the Nuggets behind the play of Griffin and Paul. LAC 95 - DEN 92 with 3:29 left.
    about 2 hours ago     
  • kevinarnovitz Kevin Arnovitz
    RT @docsheadgames: It was exactly a year ago that @diamond83 got first national interview of the historic win. Man, was that fun! http:/ ...
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  • DimeAlert Dime Alert
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  • DimeAlert Dime Alert
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  • JustinVerrier Justin Verrier
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  • JustinVerrier Justin Verrier
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  • jadande J.A. Adande
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