The Houston Rockets made a slew of offseason moves that will help them become a true Western Conference contender. After adding Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, the Rockets have the depth and talent to be the second best team in the NBA behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It's hard to argue with any of the moves GM Rafael Stone made this summer. One remaining course of action was to add more shot creation and shooting, especially in the backcourt. Instead, the Rockets signed veteran defensive specialist Josh Okogie on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. This is not the best use of resources and the first obvious mistake by the Rockets front office.
Free agent forward Josh Okogie has agreed to a one-year, $3.1 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Okogie enters his 8th NBA season and gives the Rockets another active wing defender who has averaged 6.3 points over 416 games. pic.twitter.com/RazV3afZq1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 22, 2025
Rockets Sign Josh Okogie in Head-Scratching Free Agency Move
Okogie is certainly a capable role player who can contribute off the bench for teams in need of perimeter defense and defensive versatility. However, this is far from what the Rockets needed.
Houston already has one of the best defensive units in the league. Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are two of the best and most versatile defenders in the league, while Jabari Smith Jr. has emerged as a very good defender. In fact, the Rockets don't have a below-average defender in the rotation after Jalen Green's departure.
Finding a role for Okogie in the embarrassment of riches the Rockets already have defensively will be difficult. Head coach Ime Udoka likes to prioritize defense and wants his players to play with intensity and pressure. While Okogie can certainly do that, he is incapable of doing what the Rockets really need: shot-making.
The 26-year-old is a career 29.9% three-point shooter. He is consistently left wide open behind the three-point line. He can't really do much with the ball inside the arc, either, boasting a career True Shooting percentage of 53.1. He can find easy baskets thanks to his activity on the offensive glass, but that is not what teams are looking for from their 6'4" perimeter players.
Okogie can make plays on the defensive side of the ball and can impact games on that end of the floor when the Rockets need him to. More often than that, however, the seven-year veteran will frustrate fans when he bricks open shot after open shot, leaving them wondering why the front office chose to bring him in instead of a sharpshooter in the backcourt.