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The Rockets are motivated to make a playoff push for a number of causes. For starters, three years within the lottery is greater than sufficient bites on the apple to seek out constructing blocks. They’ve drafted effectively and want to begin getting their prospects to play significant basketball as a way to progress their growth.
One other issue towards beginning to compete now could be the truth that the Rockets owe the Thunder High 4 protected first-round picks in 2024 and 2026. It is smart for Houston to begin making an attempt now contemplating the chances are towards them for retaining these picks.
The Rockets are heading into the offseason with 13 gamers underneath contract, together with their two first-round picks and two gamers on non-guaranteed contracts. They’re projected with $62.3 million in cap house after getting the fourth general choose on this yr’s draft and will get to $64.2 million in the event that they waive the non-guaranteed wage of Daishen Nix. That’s extra cap house than they might want contemplating that quantity is $17.3 million greater than the best most wage slot.
The smoke surrounding James Harden and a possible return to Houston has been brewing since Christmas. Since then there have been increasingly more studies substantiating the likelihood. Whether or not or not that is additionally a leverage play to get the Sixers to offer him his desired contract remains to be unclear. However whether or not it’s this yr or in a future season, Harden’s want to return to Houston appears to be actual.
The Rockets are eligible to signal Harden this summer time for as much as 4 years, projected at $201.7 million. That’s solely $8.4 million lower than the utmost quantity the Sixers can re-sign him to, so there isn’t a important monetary drawback if he leaves them. Houston would nonetheless have lots of spending energy left after presumably signing Harden, together with $15.5-$17.2 million in cap house in addition to the $7.7 million room mid-level exception.
Simply signing Harden alone won’t be sufficient to get the Rockets again into the playoffs in such a loaded Western Convention. He ought to be capable to elevate their ground from one of many league’s worst groups to doubtlessly being within the play-in combine. A playoff seeding is certainly doable relying on what else they will do with their remaining flexibility to enhance the roster.
In the event that they don’t signal Harden, they’d presumably pursue a few of the different high free brokers in the marketplace together with Khris Middleton, Kyrie Irving, Fred VanVleet, and Draymond Inexperienced. In the event that they do signal Harden, they may goal one other high free agent by buying and selling the $15.9 million wage of Kevin Porter Jr. with out taking anybody again and waiving Nix. This would depart them with roughly $33 million in cap house to pursue one other large title.
