Seems odd, because Houston didn't need to make him a restricted free agent. THey could have hung onto him for another year at tiny money and then had his bird rights when he reached unrestricted free agency next year.
Here's the money situation now as I see it.
Dwight = 21.4 mil
Harden = 14.7 mil
Jones = 1.6 mil
Montiejunas = 1.5 mil
Beverly = 915k
Canaan = 816k
They have Lin on the books, but they can easily dump him on a team if they give up a 1st (like the Thornton deal today)
Total = around 41 mil...
So they had about 22 mil in cap space. If they match Parsons they now only have about 7 mil in cap space.
If they match Parsons, can they include him in a sign-and-trade or are they unable to trade him for a specified period of time?