The Houston Rockets have been reloading this offseason, from the draft to free agency, along with some trades. But this is just the start for a team that hasn’t sniffed the postseason since their 2019-2020 season, more than three years ago. Last season, they were tied (with the San Antonio Spurs) for the second-worst record overall at 22-60 and were ranked 14th in the Western Conference.
One addition is the former Atlanta point guard Aaron Holiday joining the Rockets on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 26-year-old was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Pacers. Holiday then spent his first three seasons in Indiana before joining the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns for short stints in the same year.
With the Hawks, he had his worst season statistically, but that may be due to the low amount of minutes he played per game at 13.4, as he was used in a very limited fashion. The former Bruin appeared in 63 games and started six of them for Atlanta, averaging career lows of 3.9 points and 1.4 assists. This would be his fourth team in four seasons, as Holiday gets a fresh start.
Holiday will likely compete for the backup job against guard Kevin Porter Jr., another former first-round pick (2019) from USC at shooting guard, or find another role on the depth chart like point guard, as the Rockets also brought in veteranFred VanVleet, the former Toronto Raptor, as a big-name free agent pickup. The 29-year-old will likely start at point guard, but that wasn’t the only move to address their guard positions.
Former 2021 first-round pick (second overall) Jalen Green is the starting shooting guard, but that didn’t stop Houston from addressing depth at the position by drafting Amen Thompson fourth overall in the first round of this past NBA Draft. Thompson can play either guard or forward as a versatile option despite his size at 6’7″, as he can compete for a backup position at one of those spots.
However, he awkwardly fell at the end of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. It was his NBA Summer League debut on Friday, as it was announced on Saturday after an MRI that the 20-year-old has a Grade 2 ankle sprain and will be out for 3-4 weeks in a boot. According to Senior ESPN NBA writer Marc. J Spears, the Rockets plan to shut Thompson down for the rest of the Summer League.
But this wasn’t the only splash move this offseason for the Rockets, as Houston acquired former Grizzly forward Dillon Brooks in a massive five-team trade, as ClutchPoints highlights what was involved for each team in this multi-team deal.
The 27-year-old, according to Wojnarowski, inks a four-year, $86 million contract in a sign-and-trade with Memphis, along with incentives that can bring it up to $90 million total with Houston. Brooks was told by the Grizzlies that he was not to be retained “under any circumstances,” according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, NBA insider for Stadium. This was right after the season concluded for Memphis, as Brooks made headlines for on-court antics and was slated to be a free agent prior to the trade.
The Rockets get their starting small forward and some playoff experience, as the former All-Defensive Second Teamer will be getting paid about $22.5 million per year over four years for being a defensive menace on the court, something a young Houston group is lacking. They did draft some depth at the forward position this past NBA draft, as the Rockets take Villanova’s Cam Whitmore at the back end of the first round.
The 19-year-old and Amen, at 20 years old, are the future of this team and despite maybe not being playoff contenders this upcoming season, the Rockets should still take a step forward as a progressing team with a young core.
Houston already has three other first-rounders that haven’t been mentioned, either as starters or as key contributors playing a substantial amount of minutes. This includes 2022 third-overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. at power forward, 2022 first-round pick Tari Eason backing him up, and 2021 first-round pick Alperen Sengun starting at center (traded from the OKC Thunder).
Even at the center position, the Rockets addressed their depth by signing a veteran to backup up Sengun to a four-year, $32 million dollar deal. Houston brings in the former Phoenix Sun and San Antonio Spur Jock Landale in free agency and pays him $8 million per year. This is on top of all the other signings, trade acquisitions, and draft picks from this past NBA draft.
These three, along with the rookies and the multiple veteran additions, should help the Houston Rockets take a big leap forward together for the 2023-2024 NBA season.
