Houston Rockets Likely To Bring Back The Band
By Yoni Pollak
If there is any offseason where the Houston Rockets are not favorites to land some of the big fish this offseason, then it’s this one. Kind of.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love headline a good crop of free agents that could see a change in uniform this offseason.
Like any offseason, GM Daryl Morey will likely press hard to land one of Aldridge or Love but it’s more likely than ever that he’ll come up empty-handed.
If, and when the Rockets don’t sign one of the studs of the class, they’re likely to move on with Plan B (or A depending on how you look at it). Here’s what Jonathan Feigen (Houston Chronicle) had to say:
"The Rockets are “probably likely” to stick with their plan to remain above the salary cap and spend the free-agency period putting the band back together by signing many, if not all, of their five free agents."
It starts with Patrick Beverley. The restricted free agent will likely be looking for a nice raise in salary this offseason and will have high offers out there. Once he signs an offer sheet, the Rockets will have three days to match. Houston is in the same boat with K.J. McDaniels. He should get some solid offers after outproducing his draft position last season while with the Philadelphia 76’ers.
Josh Smith, Corey Brewer, and Jason Terry are all unrestricted free agents, free to sign with any team they choose without the Rockets having the right to match offers.
Smith flourished in Houston’s system, and though the Rockets may not offer him the largest amount of money, he may be willing to stay here since he’s both comfortable and still getting paid by the Detroit Pistons.
Everyone saw how Brewer can change a game with a few hustle plays. Championship contenders need one Corey Brewer on their roster and he should receive a few good offers from other teams.
Terry is a veteran point guard with little gas left in the tank. He may decide to stay in Houston and sign later in the offseason once the Rockets figure out their point guard situation.
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One point guard not mentioned yet is Sergio Llull. We know Daryl Morey will try to bring the 27-year old from Spain to Houston, but he’s tried before with no luck so far. With a huge need at point guard this offseason and with the funds to do so, the Rockets have a much better shot at luring the Real Madrid guard.
You never know what Daryl Morey can pull off in an offseason. He loves to take home run swing, though he came up empty last offseason. However, he did promise that Houston would be stronger in the playoffs this past year than the previous year, and boy was he right.
Stick with us here at House of Houston for all your Rockets offseason coverage.
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