The Rockets’ offseason has already watched several of the most obvious shooting fixes slip away, and that leaves the same issue hanging over the roster: this team still needs more spacing.
That was the flaw most Rockets fans pointed to last season, and free agency has done nothing to soften it. Kevin Huerter re-signed with the Detroit Pistons, Luke Kennard went to the Phoenix Suns, and Tim Hardaway Jr. landed with the Miami Heat. Each one fit the kind of low-cost shooting help Houston could have used, and none of them ended up in Rockets territory.
There are obvious caveats with that trio. Huerter has not been the same shooter in recent seasons that he was earlier in his career, while Kennard and Hardaway both bring defensive questions. But that is the reality of budget free agency: every realistic option tends to come with a catch.
Even so, all three would have mattered. Houston’s offense too often felt predictable last season, and adding a few more shooters would have given it more ways to bend a defense. None of those players would have transformed the Rockets by themselves, but each would have made the bench more dangerous and the offense harder to game-plan against.
Now the Rockets have to keep looking. Khris Middleton could be an interesting veteran target if the money is right, and Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili are also names that would fit if they’re still on the board.
How much Houston is willing to spend before re-signing Tari Eason remains unclear, but even if Eason stays, the shooting issue doesn’t disappear. A healthy Fred VanVleet will help.
He’s a career 37.1 percent shooter from three and can make tough shots when the offense bogs down. But Houston can’t lean on a 32-year-old guard coming off a major injury to carry the whole problem.
The Rockets still need to act with urgency before the market thins out and the chance to add an impact free agent is gone.
In Other News...
Jaylen Brown Trade Just Raised The Stakes For Houston's Star Debate
Jaylen Browns name has a way of pulling Houston back into the bigger star conversation, especially now that the Rockets are trying to chart their next move with real ambition. Around the league, the latest deal involving Brown has only sharpened the question of what a compelling package would have looked like from Houstons side, and it naturally turns the spotlight onto the kinds of players and assets the Rockets could have put together if they chose to chase that level of talent.
The hypothetical starts with the sort of mix Houston can actually talk itself into: Alperen Sengun at the center of the offer, Tari Eason in a sign-and-trade, Fred VanVleets expiring contract, and draft capital to sweeten the deal. It is the kind of structure that invites a hard comparison with the package that ultimately got done, and it leaves Houston in the familiar place of wondering whether its path to a true difference-maker is still open, or whether the market has already moved past what the Rockets can realistically assemble. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Cannot Afford This Star Chasing Mistake Right Now
The Rockets have spent so much time building around youth and upside that any star-chasing detour has to be measured against what they have already assembled. That is why the latest round of trade speculation has landed with some unease, even before Houston starts weighing the cost of adding a veteran name who comes with a long injury history and a shrinking runway.
Anthony Davis has still been productive when available, but availability is the whole issue here. He played just 20 games last season and has averaged 46.5 games over his last six years, which is exactly the sort of profile that should make Houston hesitate before putting core pieces on the table. For a team trying to protect its future, the risk is not just giving up too much, but giving up too much for a player whose timeline may not match theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Face One Backcourt Question That Could Define Their Season
The Rockets are heading into next season with a much deeper look in the backcourt, and the point guard rotation could end up being one of the quiet drivers of how far they go. Fred VanVleet is back in the mix, Marcus Smart was added in free agency to give the group more stability and toughness, and Reed Sheppard gives Houston another option if the staff needs to shuffle the guard spots around.
What makes it interesting is that this is not just a numbers game, it is a fit question. VanVleet, Smart and Sheppard each bring something different, but the Rockets will have to sort out who handles the offense, who plays alongside it and how much flexibility they want to preserve for matchups once the season starts to get real. [Read more 🡒]