Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed center Loren Woods to a second 10-day contract. Woods has averaged 3.0 points in two games with the Rockets this season.
Woods (7-2, 260, Arizona) averaged 2.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 208 prior NBA games (47 starts) with Minnesota, Miami and Toronto. Internationally, Woods won the 2006-07 Lithuanian National Championship with BC Zalgiris Kaunas and had been playing this season with Efes Pilsen Istanbul in Euroleague. Woods was named the 2007-08 Euroleague Week 11 MVP, pacing Efes Pilsen with 16 points and 18 rebounds in a 91-84 overtime win against Le Mans. His 18 boards (10 offensive) stood as the second highest total in Euroleague history.
Selected by the Timberwolves in the second round (46th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft, Woods spent two seasons with Minnesota before signing as a free agent with the Heat in 2003-04. He was chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 22, 2004, and later signed with the Raptors on Aug. 18, 2004. With Toronto in 2004-05, Woods averaged career bests of 3.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.87 blocks in 45 games. Woods also averaged 4.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 30 games as a starter that season with the Raptors. In 2005-06, the former standout at Arizona ranked ninth in the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes (16.3 rpg) and 16th in blocks per 48 minutes (3.41 bpg) with Toronto.
Woods signed on with the Sacramento Kings on Aug.15, 2006, but was waived prior to the regular season. He later joined the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League in 2006-07, averaging 11.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.00 blocks in 15 games with the Toros. He also participated in the 2007 Gillette D-League All-Star Game.
