The Houston Rockets have kept a low profile this summer, even as the league conversation has centered on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron James. Their biggest move so far has been adding defensive specialist Marcus Smart, who is expected to come off the bench.
But with the free-agent pool thinning, one familiar name still hanging out there is Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook spent the 2019-20 season in Houston and was a major piece of a Rockets team that reached the Western Conference Semifinals with James Harden. Since then, he’s bounced through the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.
Now an unrestricted free agent, Westbrook is coming off a one-year, $3.63 million veteran minimum deal with Sacramento. In 64 games last season, the 2017 MVP put up 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
Houston already has Fred VanVleet set to return from a season-ending ACL tear, but there’s still a case for the Rockets to keep adding depth at point guard. Ime Udoka has clearly leaned into defense - Smart’s arrival is proof of that - yet Westbrook still brings a different kind of pressure. His pace, downhill force, and willingness to attack have made him a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in the past.
Even at 37, Westbrook remains an active playmaker. He still rebounds like a guard who refuses to stay out of the paint, and he finished last season with a 34.3% assist percentage, the 11th-best mark in the NBA.
Given his willingness to take a veteran minimum deal and embrace different roles during his journeyman stretch, Houston’s front office should at least make the call and see where things go with the nine-time All-Star.
The Rockets also have something to sell. They finished in the top 10 in net rating last season, and they can present themselves as a legitimate place for Westbrook to chase his first NBA championship while playing a meaningful role. He’d be joining a promising group that includes Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and former teammate Kevin Durant.
There is history there, of course. Durant and Westbrook reportedly had friction nearly a decade ago after Durant’s move to the Golden State Warriors, but that seems like old news now.
Westbrook’s resume still speaks loudly, and it’s hard to picture him sitting in free agency when next season begins. If the market stays soft and the money lines up, the Rockets may have a real chance to bring back one of the league’s underrated guards.
In Other News...
Tari Eason Just Got The Chance To Silence Rockets Doubts
Tari Easons new five-year extension gives the Rockets a clearer picture of where he fits in their long-term plans, and it also raises the standard for what comes next. Houston saw enough in his energy, defense and flashes of perimeter shooting to commit, but the front office still knows the swing skill is his jump shot, the part of his game that can make him more than just a useful rotation piece.
The Rockets are also giving him a notable assist on that front by adding Chip Engelland to the staff, a move aimed at tightening up the kind of shot that looked promising early last season before fading later on. Easons early stretch showed why the organization remains intrigued, but the inconsistency that followed is exactly why this next phase matters so much for both player and team. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Added Another Young Forward And Camp Just Got More Crowded
The Rockets have added another young forward to the mix, signing 22-year-old Julian Phillips as their latest free-agent addition. Phillips comes with a recent draft pedigree and a winding start to his pro career, having been drafted 35th overall in 2023 and spending time with Chicago before landing in Minnesota, and now he gets a fresh look in Houston as the team keeps building out its offseason roster.
Phillips joins Isaiah Crawford, JaeSean Tate and Oscar Tshiebwe as the Rockets continue sorting through a crowded camp group with jobs still to be won. For a team that has leaned into competition and flexibility, the next few weeks will be about which of these low-risk additions can carve out a real role when training camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets May Have Finally Found What Amen Thompson Was Missing
Amen Thompson has already shown why the Rockets are so high on him. His athleticism and defensive impact have made him a cornerstone in Houston, but the next step in his rise has always been obvious: the jumper. For a player who can get downhill and create advantages, even a modest leap from the perimeter would change how defenses have to guard him.
Houston seems intent on helping him get there. The Rockets brought in Chip Engelland, one of the leagues most respected shooting teachers, to work with Thompson, and there is at least some encouraging evidence that improvement is possible after Thompson boosted his free-throw shooting last season. With more playmakers around him and a staff that clearly believes in the long-term payoff, the question in Houston is no longer whether Thompson can impact winning. It is how much more dangerous he becomes if the shot starts to follow. [Read more 🡒]