The Houston Rockets have been one of the busiest teams in the NBA offseason.
The Rockets have taken a decisive approach to their roster this summer, highlighted by a blockbuster move that brought in Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and multiple draft picks.
Most recently, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Rockets intend to resign Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, and Jeff Green to contracts next season. The trio will now return to Houston as a veteran group to pair alongside Durant.
Houston recently gave head coach Ime Udoka a contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. They’ve also signed point guard Fred VanVleet and center Steven Adams with multi-year extensions.
Houston’s Veteran Roster For Next Season
For the past two years under Udoka, the Rockets have been a young team who were on the rise. They finished this season as the second seed in the West, and their 52 regular-season wins were the highest in six years.
Now, they’ve changed course and have gone all-in on competing for a title within the next few years. Houston has now traded their young scorer in Green for Durant and has since secured their veteran role players to support the 15-time All-Star.
Houston isn’t just keeping their older players, but they are doing so on team-friendly deals. VanVleet declined his option for next year and instead signed a two-year $50 million extension, saving the Rockets nearly $20 million next season.
They also resigned Adams to a three-year $39 million deal. Although he’ll earn $13 million per year, Houston sees it as a discount considering his experience and high acumen described by his teammates.
The most recent news indicates that the Rockets are bringing back Tate, Holiday, and Green. None of them averaged more than 15 minutes and six points per game this past season, but teammates and coaches credit them as valuable locker-room additions. Green and Durant were formerly teammates on the Seattle Supersonics and are now pairing back up as each enters their 18th season in the NBA.
Houston signed Udoka to a multi-year extension after he led them to their first postseason appearance in five years. The Rockets have won 93 games over Udoka’s two seasons with the team, a significant rise from their 59 total wins in the three seasons prior.
Rockets Also Have A Young Core
Though Houston’s recent moves have focused on their veteran players, they’ve kept their promising young core untouched so far this offseason.
Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, Reed Sheppard, and Alperen Sengun all remain on the roster as the Rockets head into free agency.
Sengun was named an All-Star, Thompson is turning into a top-tier defender, and Smith Jr. was a former third-overall pick with a lot of potential. At the same time that the Rockets have prioritized veteran players, they have one of the best young cores in the league.
Yes, some might not like the ‘two-timeline’ aspect of paring players together at different points in their careers, but Houston is making the bet that it will work.
The Rockets entered the draft with limited assets after sending their 10th overall pick to Phoenix as part of the Durant deal. They also traded the rights to the 59th overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for a return package that has not yet been specified.
All of the Rockets’ offseason moves signal their intent to make a deep playoff run next season, with Durant leading the way.
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