Draft complete, Awards Night out of the way, and finally the NBA off-season is in full flow. With several high profile free agencies dominating the news and changes in personnel across the league, the championship picture has changed drastically since last season's playoffs.
For one, the reigning 3-time champion Golden State Warriors have added all-NBA calibre big man DeMarcus Cousins to a 1 year, $5.4m mid-level exception to assemble what might be the most stacked potential starting five lineup in the history of the game. Considering the presence of All-Stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green already in the Bay Area, the addition of Cousins to the Warriors broke Twitter, with many fans writing off the forthcoming season already.
As if the Houston Rockets didn't have enough already on their plate with their efforts to unseat Golden State in the Western Conference, LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Cavs and headed to Los Angeles to join Magic Johnson's blossoming Lakers team to give Space City another giant obstacle to cross in search of a first chip since the days of Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon in the mid-nineties.
While James alone probably wouldn't be enough to beat the Rockets in the playoffs with a youthful supporting cast, they have been linked with a trade for Kawhi Leonard from perennial contenders San Antonio. In that case, LeBron would gain an elite partner to help him take over the Western Conference, and this Rockets side would be pushed all the way in a potential match-up.
The only man from last season's swashbuckling Rockets team who had a ring, Trevor Ariza, has joined the Phoenix Suns on a one-year $16m deal, with the Rockets set to face their former small-forward of five years 4 times next season in their divisional mini-series. Ariza is a seasoned NBA veteran with championship pedigree from his days with the Lakers and will give Houston's mastermind GM Daryl Morey a tricky situation to handle. A specialist 'three and d' swingman, Ariza was a reliable staple of a Rockets team which remained competitive in the Western Conference for the past several seasons, and his contribution to the Rockets' team defense in the series vs Golden State this past postseason was vital to taking the Dubs to 7 games.
The front office is yet to acquire a like for like replacement for Ariza, but they have brought back Houston native Gerald Green on a cheap 1-year $2.4m deal. The former Slam Dunk contest champion joined the team in December of last year and has proved to be a solid option off the bench with great shooting numbers and energy in abundance. He falls short in his defensive efficiency, however, and for this reason, it's difficult to see him replacing the departed Ariza as an automatic starter.
Another early piece of business Morey wrapped up was bringing back Chris Paul to team up with Harden for another four years in a lucrative $160m max deal. The Rockets set an example for the rest of the league last year by having one of their two ball-dominant guards in Harden and Paul on the court at all times, ensuring their explosive offense never lacked the vision and creativity to hurt opposition bench units. Some may baulk at the length of Paul's extension, but he remains one of the most intelligent players in the NBA, and his dynamic skill set will serve him well into his mid-thirties.
Many NBA fans believe Houston still needs a third star to team up with the aforementioned Paul and Harden to topple the Warriors, but the truth is they already have three stars and need a fourth. Swiss big man Clint Capela has made the five spot his own since Dwight Howard's ugly departure from H-Town in 2016, fitting in seamlessly with the Rockets' pick and roll plays on the offensive end, while also being amongst the league leaders in blocks at the other end of the court. Rightly so, the 2014 first-round pick has been searching for a big payday which matches his talent this offseason. However, most teams don't have the financial capabilities to give the 24-year-old a lucrative max-deal, including the Rockets. Following the opening of Free Agency, Capela tweeted the following, an indication of his exasperation with the situation.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne has revealed that Capela may opt-in to a low $4.7m qualifying offer from the Rockets for next season, before testing the waters again in 12 months as a UFA. It's quite likely that this could be his final season balling out in Houston, and that would be a real shame having already established himself as a fan favourite at the Toyota Center and considering his potential to be an All-NBA superstar one day.
This could mean that the upcoming season could be one of the Rockets' final seasons to seriously contend for a championship, as his likely replacement, 017 second-round draft pick Isaiah Hartenstein, would take some time to adapt to NBA basketball and reach the level Capela is currently playing at. The German stretch 5 has been working on his game with Houston's affiliate G-League outfit the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for the past year and may feature for the first time at the top level as a bench option next year when Nene or Capela are hurt or resting.
Another option at the centre position for Mike D'Antoni could be Zhou Qi, who has been impressing in the Summer League so far with his long frame and three-point shooting presenting a different solution for the Rockets on both ends of the court.
Michael Carter Williams and rookie DeAnthony Melton have been acquired too this off-season by the Rockets' to provide depth for Chris Paul at point guard, but it is unlikely they will make a difference for the team come playoff time, with D'Antoni notorious for running intense 7 or 8-man rotations in the postseason.
Finally, there are a couple of moves the Rockets could still make in the trade market to boost their chances next season. The obvious elephant in the room remains Ryan Anderson's expensive contract which still has two years left to run, and moving him on would free up a substantial amount on the books for Houston. The dream would be to trade for Jimmy Butler, but I doubt the Rockets have the assets Minnesota would demand for their franchise player. He would be the perfect upgrade - not replacement - for Ariza, with a history of being a prolific scorer and elite defender too.
Carmelo Anthony has just left the OKC Thunder too and presents a potentially poisoned chalice for many contenders in the league. His year in Oklahoma was underwhelming, and his best days are clearly behind him, but he is worth considering as a low-risk option on a mid-level contract for the Rockets in a similar fashion to how the Warriors signed Demarcus Cousins.
This year's off-season has already given us several dramatic stories, and with many rosters still being built to dethrone the Warriors next year, the Rockets will be expected to be busy in the coming months to fill the gaps in theirs too. After all, Daryl Morey didn't win Executive of the Year for no reason.
For one, the reigning 3-time champion Golden State Warriors have added all-NBA calibre big man DeMarcus Cousins to a 1 year, $5.4m mid-level exception to assemble what might be the most stacked potential starting five lineup in the history of the game. Considering the presence of All-Stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green already in the Bay Area, the addition of Cousins to the Warriors broke Twitter, with many fans writing off the forthcoming season already.
As if the Houston Rockets didn't have enough already on their plate with their efforts to unseat Golden State in the Western Conference, LeBron James opted out of his contract with the Cavs and headed to Los Angeles to join Magic Johnson's blossoming Lakers team to give Space City another giant obstacle to cross in search of a first chip since the days of Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon in the mid-nineties.
While James alone probably wouldn't be enough to beat the Rockets in the playoffs with a youthful supporting cast, they have been linked with a trade for Kawhi Leonard from perennial contenders San Antonio. In that case, LeBron would gain an elite partner to help him take over the Western Conference, and this Rockets side would be pushed all the way in a potential match-up.
The only man from last season's swashbuckling Rockets team who had a ring, Trevor Ariza, has joined the Phoenix Suns on a one-year $16m deal, with the Rockets set to face their former small-forward of five years 4 times next season in their divisional mini-series. Ariza is a seasoned NBA veteran with championship pedigree from his days with the Lakers and will give Houston's mastermind GM Daryl Morey a tricky situation to handle. A specialist 'three and d' swingman, Ariza was a reliable staple of a Rockets team which remained competitive in the Western Conference for the past several seasons, and his contribution to the Rockets' team defense in the series vs Golden State this past postseason was vital to taking the Dubs to 7 games.
The front office is yet to acquire a like for like replacement for Ariza, but they have brought back Houston native Gerald Green on a cheap 1-year $2.4m deal. The former Slam Dunk contest champion joined the team in December of last year and has proved to be a solid option off the bench with great shooting numbers and energy in abundance. He falls short in his defensive efficiency, however, and for this reason, it's difficult to see him replacing the departed Ariza as an automatic starter.
Another early piece of business Morey wrapped up was bringing back Chris Paul to team up with Harden for another four years in a lucrative $160m max deal. The Rockets set an example for the rest of the league last year by having one of their two ball-dominant guards in Harden and Paul on the court at all times, ensuring their explosive offense never lacked the vision and creativity to hurt opposition bench units. Some may baulk at the length of Paul's extension, but he remains one of the most intelligent players in the NBA, and his dynamic skill set will serve him well into his mid-thirties.
Many NBA fans believe Houston still needs a third star to team up with the aforementioned Paul and Harden to topple the Warriors, but the truth is they already have three stars and need a fourth. Swiss big man Clint Capela has made the five spot his own since Dwight Howard's ugly departure from H-Town in 2016, fitting in seamlessly with the Rockets' pick and roll plays on the offensive end, while also being amongst the league leaders in blocks at the other end of the court. Rightly so, the 2014 first-round pick has been searching for a big payday which matches his talent this offseason. However, most teams don't have the financial capabilities to give the 24-year-old a lucrative max-deal, including the Rockets. Following the opening of Free Agency, Capela tweeted the following, an indication of his exasperation with the situation.
😔— Clint Capela (@CapelaClint) July 1, 2018
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne has revealed that Capela may opt-in to a low $4.7m qualifying offer from the Rockets for next season, before testing the waters again in 12 months as a UFA. It's quite likely that this could be his final season balling out in Houston, and that would be a real shame having already established himself as a fan favourite at the Toyota Center and considering his potential to be an All-NBA superstar one day.
This could mean that the upcoming season could be one of the Rockets' final seasons to seriously contend for a championship, as his likely replacement, 017 second-round draft pick Isaiah Hartenstein, would take some time to adapt to NBA basketball and reach the level Capela is currently playing at. The German stretch 5 has been working on his game with Houston's affiliate G-League outfit the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for the past year and may feature for the first time at the top level as a bench option next year when Nene or Capela are hurt or resting.
Another option at the centre position for Mike D'Antoni could be Zhou Qi, who has been impressing in the Summer League so far with his long frame and three-point shooting presenting a different solution for the Rockets on both ends of the court.
Michael Carter Williams and rookie DeAnthony Melton have been acquired too this off-season by the Rockets' to provide depth for Chris Paul at point guard, but it is unlikely they will make a difference for the team come playoff time, with D'Antoni notorious for running intense 7 or 8-man rotations in the postseason.
Finally, there are a couple of moves the Rockets could still make in the trade market to boost their chances next season. The obvious elephant in the room remains Ryan Anderson's expensive contract which still has two years left to run, and moving him on would free up a substantial amount on the books for Houston. The dream would be to trade for Jimmy Butler, but I doubt the Rockets have the assets Minnesota would demand for their franchise player. He would be the perfect upgrade - not replacement - for Ariza, with a history of being a prolific scorer and elite defender too.
Carmelo Anthony has just left the OKC Thunder too and presents a potentially poisoned chalice for many contenders in the league. His year in Oklahoma was underwhelming, and his best days are clearly behind him, but he is worth considering as a low-risk option on a mid-level contract for the Rockets in a similar fashion to how the Warriors signed Demarcus Cousins.
This year's off-season has already given us several dramatic stories, and with many rosters still being built to dethrone the Warriors next year, the Rockets will be expected to be busy in the coming months to fill the gaps in theirs too. After all, Daryl Morey didn't win Executive of the Year for no reason.
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