The 6-foot-11 Australian averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 63 games last season, his first in the NBA. Andersen helped fill the void for Houston while Yao Ming sat out last season with a foot injury. Yao is expected to return healthy this season, and the Rockets signed free agent center Brad Miller to back him up.
The Rockets acquired Andersen's rights from Atlanta last July, not long after Yao announced he would have foot surgery and probably miss the 2009-10 season.
Andersen was a second-round draft choice of the Hawks in 2002. He had previously played in Europe, most recently in the Spanish League with FC Barcelona.
