Rockets center Yao Ming cleared another hurdle in his rehabilitation from a serious foot injury on Thursday.

An extensive physical showed that his left foot is healing well and he has been cleared to increase his workouts.

"We reviewed his most recent bone scans, and they indicate the healing is continuing at the expected rate," Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones said. "He's right where he should be with regard to his rehab.

"He's been able to increase his rehab conditioning to the point he is running at his full body weight. He's been doing some limited on-court work, and he's been able to go through those workouts with no discomfort. We feel good about his progress at this point, and we're going to keep gradually elevating the intensity of his workouts within the parameters that our doctors have established."

Yao missed the entire 2009-10 season after suffering a stress fracture on May 8, 2009 in a playoff game against the Lakers.

The Rockets are looking to move up into the Top 10 in next month's NBA Draft and they are willing to pay cash in order to do so.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes that Houston won't give up "meaningful assets to move up but they are in the market."

The Spurs are also trying to move up.

The Bulls interviewed Rockets assistant Elston Turner for a number of hours on Thursday afternoon, according to sources.

Chicago conducted the interview at the NBA's Pre-Draft Camp.

Turner, 50, has become a top head coaching candidate in the last three years, after a career as an assistant with the Kings, Blazers and Rockets.

He interviewed for the Suns and Timberwolves in recent years and had a strong interview with the 76ers earlier this offseason.

A source told Frank Isola that Daryl Morey was fined by the NBA league office for giving an opinion on the collective bargaining agreement in a discussion with Bill Simmons of ESPN.

The fine on Morey is believed to be $100,000.

Isola also states that Donnie Walsh is careful to avoid public statements about LeBron James because of how controversial the idea of James joining the Knicks is around the league.

"The Knicks president is more mindful of tampering than any other team executive because he knows that few want to see LeBron end up in New York and will do anything to prevent it," writes Isola.

The Rockets and Blazers are two teams that will be working No. 3 Nets and No. 4 Wolves to move up in the draft, league sources say.

RealGM Note: DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors are considered to be top-four prospects.

Bob Breitbard, who originally owned the Rockets, has died of natural causes at age 91.

Breitbard owned the San Diego Rockets from their expansion season of 1967-68 until he sold them in 1971 to Texas businessmen who moved the team to Houston.

He was a close friend of Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

The Rockets plan to pick up the option on the contract of Chuck Hayes, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Hayes has one season and $2.334 million left on his deal.

By picking up the option on his contract, Houston wouldn't be in position to extend his deal past the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.

The Rockets will host six players for a pre-draft workout on Friday.

The six players include center Brian Davis from Texas A&M, guard Demetri McCamey from Illinois, guard Manny Harris from Michigan, forward Latavious Williams from Tulsa of the NBA Development League, forward Jajuan Johnson from Purdue and guard Kelvin Lewis from the University of Houston.

The Rockets are preparing their pitch to persuade Chris Bosh to join the team this off-season.

Other clubs that are expected to pursue Bosh -- Miami, New York, Chicago and New Jersey -- will have the cap room to sign Bosh to a maximum-salary contract.  The Rockets would need to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Raptors that would land Bosh in Houston.

"At the heart of the issue is, first, persuading Bosh to play for the Rockets," writes Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.  "If they're able to do that, everything else almost certainly will fall into place. That's why the Rockets are spending so much time and energy coming up with the right recruiting pitch."