Houston Rockets: Team should zero in on Frank Kaminsky if bought out

The Houston Rockets are relatively healthy but there’s no reason why they should target Frank Kaminsky if bought out. Why? Let’s find out more.

The Houston Rockets will start the second half of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at 9:30 p.m. CDT. They’ll be on the road and they’ll be relatively healthy for the first time since the earlier stages of the season.

This bodes well for us Houston Rockets fans but I honestly feel that there are ways for this team to improve and I still think that the front court needs to be beefed up in order for this team to have the goods to compete in hopefully a long playoff run.

The buyout market is starting to dry up with guys like Enes Kanter, Markieff Morris and Wesley Matthews being able to find homes after severing ties with their respective teams but they’re still a few finds left that the Houston Rockets could target.

Who am I talking about?

Let’s discuss Frank Kaminsky of the Charlotte Hornets. It’s a shame that we’re actually having this conversation but things just have not worked out for Frank thus far. He was a regular part of the Hornets’ rotation for quite some time but Bismack Biyombo, Willy Hernangomez (to which I wrote about recently as a trade target before deadline) and Cody Zeller have passed him up in the rotation, leaving little room for minutes for the 7-foot, larger-than-life prospect.

I remember the days when he ruled the hardwood as the centerpiece for the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team and he truly was one of the first things you’d think of when one would associate with that program.

The bright lights, the national television exposure, along with the sold out crowds at Kohl Center as well as the many that wanted to see this team do work on the road were all what made those Badgers’ teams great.

How could someone with such a following fall from grace so fast? It’s simple — the NBA is the crème de la crème of talent and he didn’t quite rise up to the top.

But nonetheless, I think Kaminsky is a formidable ballplayer that could help many teams out, especially with his rebounding, marksmanship and the ability to eat up space effectively, despite his slender, 242-pound frame.

This is certainly the reason why the Houston Rockets should pounce on him if the Hornets decide to buy out the remainder of his contract.

Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reported earlier today that Kaminsky is frustrated with his role with the team and is hoping the team can execute a plausible path to his release from the team so that he may help another.

However, Deveney does signal that the team is nervous about letting him go because they feel his departure will affect their depth.

Deveney also writes that Hernangomez has fallen out of the rotation and Biyombo’s knee may not be able to hold up much longer. This may give Kaminsky the opportunity to get some of his minutes back.

Kaminsky has always been a terrific three-point shooter, which would certainly fit perfectly with

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the Houston Rockets‘ offensive mindset. He wouldn’t be asked to shoot threes every time he ran up the floor but Mike D’Antoni would certainly give him the green light if he were open. I can see out-of-bounds plays drawn up just for Kaminsky any time a quick-three would be needed.

His 57.9 percent true shooting percentage along with his 11.9 percent rebound rate would be helpful for the Houston Rockets, plus he’s shooting 34.8 percent from behind-the-arc this season.

I think Kaminsky could commit himself to playing hard-nosed defense in spurts but his body is just not built to bang with some of the titans of NBA and there will be times where he’ll get beat badly. He currently is holding at a 113 defensive rating per 100 possessions for 2018-19.

He could be seen as a younger, slightly more prolific version of Ryan Anderson and I think that’s what this team needs. Besides, he’s still in his mid-20s so what is there to lose?

The guy averaged 11.4 points/4.1 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .414/.351/.776 over the last two seasons, his two most productive to date.

Kaminsky will earn $3.6 million this season and has a $4.9 million club option for 2019-20 embedded into his four-year, $11.8 million rookie deal.

If he’s bought out, he’d be a unrestricted free agent after this season to which I think is the likely of what Charlotte will do regardless if they keep him for this season or not.

Although he wouldn’t be my first choice by any means, he’s one of the best potential buyout candidates out there and the Rockets should take a flyer on him.

It’s certainly worth a shot.

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Kaminsky, 25, is averaging 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.8 minutes per game through 26 games this season.

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