The Houston Rockets are one of the clear winners of the NBA offseason.
No team has helped their championship chances more than the Rockets after general manager Rafael Stone traded for Kevin Durant and added Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela in free agency while keeping the team's most important players. Now, Houston has as good a chance of winning the Western Conference as any team not named the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There are a few more moves the Rockets can make to help their chances even more. The most obvious one is to add a little more shooting. Fortunately for them, there is a former Durant teammate still available on the market who could be a big help on that front.
Rockets Must Reunite Kevin Durant with Landry Shamet This Offseason
Landry Shamet has played with Durant on two previous occasions, with the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns. The 28-year-old shooting guard has made a career out of spreading the floor for superstars, thriving in that role for the Clippers, Nets, Suns, and the Knicks in his seven-year career.
Last season, Shamet played over 15 minutes per game for the Knicks and hit 39.7% of his 3.1 three-point attempts per game. He continued his accuracy and production during New York's playoff run, increasing his playing time during the second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.
While Shamet's calling card is his shooting, he has some playmaking skills that could be useful on bench units. He is also not a total sieve on the defensive end of the floor, making him a viable rotation player.
The Rockets are loaded with talent, but their backcourt is still weaker than their frontcourt. Having the likes of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason on the perimeter, while playing non-shooting big men like Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Capela, creates some shooting concerns.
Bringing Shamet in on a veteran minimum deal would give the Rockets more offensive juice and spacing, especially if it makes Durant happy in the process.