Report: Rockets' Anderson thought he would sign with Wizards

John Wall, Bradley Beal ... and Ryan Anderson? What could have been in the nation's capital.

Anderson ultimately signed on with the Houston Rockets on a four-year, $80-million contract, although he fully expected to be a member of the Washington Wizards following what he believed was a productive conversation with general manager Ernie Grunfeld, sources told CSN Mid-Atlantic's J. Michael.

With the organization whiffing on four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant in free agency, the 3-point marksman big man became Washington's top priority. Anderson even went as far as texting Wall that he believed he was on his way to join his side.

Grunfeld reportedly never called Anderson back after their initial talks, though, and wasn't keen on overpaying to bring him on board.

All-Star big man Al Horford was right near the top of Houston's offseason wish list at the time, but he ended up getting $113 million over four seasons to take his talents to Beantown. This created an opening for the Rockets to swoop in and go with Anderson as a contingency plan.

Washington wound up stacking its second unit with the likes of Jason Smith, Andrew Nicholson, and Ian Mahinmi instead, all of whom aren't as prolific offensively as Anderson, but don't induce nearly as much anxiety on the defensive end.

The Rockets' new up-tempo offense under head coach Mike D'Antoni needed shooters to help spread the floor, and as per usual, Anderson is providing a steady source of perimeter buckets at a 39.8 percent clip. It's just a shame he can't carry that over to inside the arc, as he's shooting just 38.4 percent from the field overall for 12.3 points in 31.8 minutes.