The most important free agent the Houston Rockets have this season is Steven Adams. The veteran center emerged as a crucial piece during Houston's playoff run, playing significant minutes off the bench and alongside Alperen Şengün. His physicality, leadership, and offensive rebounding made a big impact for the Rockets, despite falling short to the Warriors in seven games.
Unfortunately, Adams is a free agent this summer. The 31-year-old big man will likely draw interest in the open market as he is one of the more beloved veterans in the league. He looks to be in great shape after dealing with injuries over the last few seasons, and will be near the top of the list for a lot of teams in a limited free agent market.
Therefore, the Rockets are facing the real possibility of losing the New Zealander. However, they reportedly have a backup plan. The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported on Tuesday that if Adams leaves, the Rockets will try to replace him with Brook Lopez.
"If Adams leaves, team sources said the Rockets could reignite their interest in Brook Lopez."Kelly Iko, The Athletic
Lopez is hitting free agency after spending the last seven years with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 37-year-old is expected to leave as the Bucks enter a new era. Houston has previously shown interest in Lopez in free agency in the 2023 offseason before the veteran big man opted to return to Milwaukee. Therefore, it's not surprising that the same Rockets front office would pursue him again.
At this stage of his career, Lopez likely can't play extended minutes. Fortunately, the Rockets don't need him to have a large role. He can come off the bench, provide rim protection, and hit open threes. His combination of defense and shooting is very rare in the NBA, giving the Rockets a different element.
The Rockets would be wise to try two-big lineups next season. So, adding a difference maker to the center rotation makes a lot of sense. The interest in Lopez is proof that the Rockets have a solid offseason plan. Whether they can execute that plan, however, remains to be seen.