2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Houston Rockets

The Rockets outperformed expectations in 2016/17, with James Harden receiving MVP consideration and Mike D’Antoni entering the Coach of the Year discussion as the club set records for three-point shooting. However, the season ended on a sour note, and Daryl Morey won’t have as much cap flexibility to make roster additions this summer as he did a year ago, when Houston landed Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Rockets financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

• James Harden ($28,299,399)
• Ryan Anderson ($19,578,455)
• Eric Gordon ($12,943,020)
• Trevor Ariza ($7,420,912)
• Lou Williams ($7,000,000)
• Patrick Beverley ($5,513,514)
• Clint Capela ($2,334,528)
• Sam Dekker ($1,794,600)
• Montrezl Harrell ($1,471,382)
• Chinanu Onuaku ($1,312,611)
• Total: $87,668,421

Player Options

• None

Team Options

• None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

• Kyle Wiltjer ($1,312,611)¹
• Isaiah Taylor ($1,312,611)
• Total: $2,625,222
  

Restricted Free Agents

• Bobby Brown ($1,724,305 qualifying offer / $1,724,305 cap hold)
• Troy Williams ($1,512,611 qualifying offer / $1,512,611 cap hold)
• Total: $3,236,916
  

Cap Holds

• Nene ($3,477,600)
• Total: $3,477,600
  

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $11,700,349

• With more than $87MM on their 2017/18 cap in the form of guaranteed salaries, the Rockets would have a team salary of $89,299,651 if they added a couple cap charges for empty roster spots to that total. That would give the club about $11.7MM in cap room, which isn’t much more than what the mid-level exception is expected to be worth. In order to clear out additional space, a trade would be necessary.

Footnotes:

1. Wiltjer’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.