The Houston Rockets took a massive step forward last season, going from a lottery team to one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Despite the leap, the Rockets have a lot of work to do this offseason to become a true title contender.
GM Rafael Stone has a difficult decision to make on Steven Adams' free agency, Fred VanVleet's team option, and trade possibilities involving the likes of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr, and Cam Whitmore.
Not every decision, however, will be hard for the Rockets. In fact, parting ways with one overpaid Rocket will be one of the easiest decisions of the offseason.
Jock Landale Will Not Make It to July as a Houston Rocket
Jock Landale is entering the final two seasons of his four-year, $32 million contract. That deal has aged poorly for the Rockets as the 29-year-old center was surpassed by Steven Adams in the rotation and wasn't a factor for most of the season. His $8 million on the books for next season would be better utilized elsewhere.
Fortunately for the Rockets, Landale's salary for next season is non-guaranteed, meaning that they can get out of it by waiving him before June 29. If they keep him on the roster through that date, the $8 million salary becomes fully guaranteed.
That's what makes this decision a no-brainer. The Rockets will try to retain Adams in free agency, but even if he is ultimately out of their price range, they should be able to find a better and cheaper backup center for Alperen Sengun than Landale.
What the Rockets will do in free agency and the trade market remains to be seen, but it's difficult to imagine that Landale makes it past June. There is a small chance his salary is guaranteed and later used in a trade for salary-matching purposes, but regardless of the mechanics of his departure, Landale will not be wearing a Rockets uniform next season.