A Look Ahead at the Houston Rockets Offseason

The time has come, James Harden could not carry his team anymore.

He took the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals, essentially by himself, where they fell to the MVP Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in five games.

With the Rockets now sitting home for the next few months until the 2015/16 season, they have a lot of question marks surrounding the team. What will they do in the draft? Who will they persue in free agency?

It’s time to dig in and take a look at the Rockets’ offseason plans.

1. The Draft

The Rockets sit with the 18th overall pick that they acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in last year’s Omer Asik trade.

With that 18th selection, Houston will be looking for either a potential starter or even a rotational player. They desperately need point guard depth, considering that after Patrick Beverley went down for the season with a wrist injury, they were relying on veteran Jason Terry to play at a high enough level. 

Although Terry was not awful in his time as a point guard, the Rockets could certainly use a better and younger guard that they could keep for years to come on a cheaper contract.

One option is former Duke Blue Devil and 2015 NCAA Tournament champion Tyus Jones. Jones reminds me a lot of the Knicks’ Shane Larkin. He can distribute the ball effectively and will continue to improve over the years as a shooter and a passer.

The other option for the draft is Utah’s Delon Wright. Wright, the younger brother of the Portland Trail Blazers’ Dorrell Wright, is a much riskier option than Tyus Jones. Wright is not an extrememly efficient shooter from deep, as he shot 22.2% last year from beyond the arc. He reminds me of the Utah Jazz’s Trey Burke, as they both play with a shoot-first mentality and are both not extrememly efficient shooters from deep at times. Wright could be the guy the Rockets draft if they see enough upside in him during the pre-draft process.

2. Re-Signing Players

The key player that the Rockets will be trying to resign is forward Josh Smith. Mostly coming off of the Houston bench, Smith averaged 12.4 Points Per Game and 6.4 Rebounds Per Game. However, Smith’s price tag will be expensive, as he played solid basketball down the stretch as well as in the playoffs for the Rockets. If Houston is looking to grab a big name free agent this summer, they may have to watch Smith walk away to play for another team.

Another player that played a key role down the stretch for Houston is Jason Terry. As I wrote earlier, the Rockets need a new point guard to start and replace Terry. However, they could still use him for bench depth and as a veteran presence within the locker room. With Patrick Beverley’s impending free agency, Terry is a must-sign for the Rockets.

Speaking of Patrick Beverley, he was one of Houston’s most important players on both sides of the ball. He was an outstanding perimeter defender, and while his average of 1.1 steals per game may not scream out that he is an elite defender, he can be very gritty and force his opponent to make bad decisions. Beverley made smart passes all last year and only turned the ball over 1.5 times per game. On the down side, Beverley is looking for a big deal this summer, and I don’t see Houston matching any major offer for the 26 year old if they want to sign some high-caliber free agents.

3. Free Agency

The positions of need for the Rockets is resting at point guard, and if they don’t believe that Terrence Jones is the answer long term, then power forward could be another question mark. Last year, the Rockets missed out on some of the big name free agents, such as LeBron James, and settled with signing Trevor Ariza.

This year, I expect the Rockets to be much more aggressive in trying to sign the big name free agents. Here are the top two players that the Rockets will pursue.

1. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF

Aldridge can just do it all. He can shoot, rebound and he can also defend. He is a franchise caliber player, and it is rare to see those types of players out on the free agent market. Houston has always wanted to get another scoring big to play alongside Dwight Howard, and Aldridge is perfect for that role. He can space out the floor and give James Harden some extra open looks. Look for Aldridge to be the number one free agent that the Rockets go after.

2. Rajon Rondo, PG

I could have gone with another forward, such as Kevin Love, but the need for a point guard in Houston is undeniable. James Harden recently stated that he wanted another backcourt weapon to play with, and Houston has not had an All Star point guard since Steve Francis in the 2003/04 season. Houston should be looking to get someone to break the All Star-less streak and Rondo could be the guy. He struggled in Dallas this season, but I believe that Rondo can easily turn back into “Mr. Triple Double” and help the Rockets make that next step in becoming a legitimate title contender.