Kostas Papanikolaou ready to live his NBA dream

Papanikolaou described himself as ready to take on the challenge, but not necessarily for the NBA, as if unwilling to suggest even to himself that his goal was just to have landed his place on the Rockets roster.

Papanikolaou is expected to sign next week once his buyout makes its way through the FIBA approval process. Drafted by the Knicks in 2012, the Rockets acquired his rights in the space-clearing deal that sent Thomas Robinson to Portland in 2013. He is expected to compete for playing time off the bench, likely at small forward initially (though at 6-9, he could get time in the stretch four role Omri Casspi played last season). But the Rockets cite his room to grow as much as how far he has already come.

-- Houston Chronicle Blog