Jul 20, 2007, 22:05 GMT
Houston, TX - Steve Francis, who played his first five NBA seasons in Houston, officially returned Friday when he agreed to a deal with the Rockets.
Francis was sent to Portland from the New York Knicks along with Channing Frye in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones in a draft night trade on June 28. The Trail Blazers then bought out the remaining two years of Francis' contract for almost the full price, paying more than $30 million of the $34 million owed to Francis over the next two years. The former All-Star became a free agent after he cleared waivers.
'I'm definitely ecstatic about the opportunity to come back to the place that I began this journey,' Francis said. 'And possibly, we can make it to the championship.'
The dynamic guard averaged a career-low 11.3 points per game in New York last season, well below his career average of 18.4 points per game. He played for Houston from 1999-2004.
'We feel like he's a strong piece to get us deeper and farther in the playoffs,' Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. 'We think he's going to be a great fit for the team.'
© 2007 The Sports Network
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