The Rockets have no plans to hit the restart button after their Game 6 flop at home against the Warriors. Owner Tilman Fertitta is intent on improving the roster to help the core group get over the hump in future playoffs, Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports.
“I’m very fortunate to have the starting five that I have, but if we can make this team better, we’re going to make this team better,” Fertitta said. “That’s just a fact. I have a great team. I love all five of my starting five, but it’s my job to make sure that we put the best team that we can put on the court next year.”
It’s one thing to say that upgrades are forthcoming. It’s another thing to pull that off when the team already has major salary cap issues. The combined salaries of James Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker alone put Houston over the projected cap of $109MM for next season.
Harden isn’t going anywhere, so unless the Rockets could somehow unload Paul’s contract — he’s owed a whopping $124MM over the next three years — they’re not going to gain significant cap relief in a trade. The Rockets do have nine trade exceptions they can utilize but none are worth more than $3.62MM.
Houston’s bench is bound to look different because virtually all of its reserves become free agents or have non-guaranteed contracts for next season. The only exception is veteran big man Nene, who can exercise a $3,825,360 player option.
Both of their draft picks this June were traded away in previous deals, with the first-rounder being conveyed to the Cavaliers and the second-rounder going to the Knicks.
The only other major asset Houston will have at its disposal is the $5.7MM mid-level exception for a taxpaying team. Perhaps the Rockets can entice a quality player to sign for below-market value in order to join a contending team.
Otherwise, GM Daryl Morey will have his work cut out for him to create a deeper and more productive bench. Fertitta remains optimistic the Rockets will be champions in the near future.
“I can promise you, we’re going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here,” he said. “We will go to battle every year. We’re going to have a strong offseason, and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that.”
I really hope we can build a great team this off season. Really do not want the duds we got last off season that really did not help us. I guess Gordon and P.J. are still under contract and of course will have James, Chris, and Clint. I do not see Chris leaving and Capela we just signed and I think we need rebounding help especially for offensive side too. Capela cannot coral ball at times. But if we stay on three point shooting team or does that hurt us. Still a fan but what needs to be done to get us passed GSW
Just as long they don’t face the Warriors then I guess anything is possible…
Unlike the Celtics where no one knows their role behind Kyrie. Everyone but Harden is a second option and really that’s sort of the problem when Harden is injured and relied on too much.
I don’t know how but they need to find a way to get another first option player.
Trade for Kevin Love and offset salary by including Smith who they could waive and save money?
Not sure.
A backup first option player? That’s a bit much… Actually, that’s Chris Paul.
It will be what they can get on the wings for low dollars.
Fertita yak yak yak. They won’t stand still because they can’t. They only have one forward signed who got PT. Austin Rivers looked good in the playoffs, so he won’t be available for $1.155MM again. They James Ennis trade does not look wise.
I agree it’s definitely excessive. I just don’t see what they do unless they can sign Boogie to a veteran exception.
Carmelo was what I think they were hoping for in a 1A type of guy.
BS. This owner’s penny pinching is a big reason why the team was left short in terms of personnel. Not just Ariza. After resigning CP3 and Capella, the owner prioritized (to say the least) getting under the tax line, not improving the team from last year. GM did a good job getting under the tax and filling out the rotation, but resources are finite, and any used to shed salary aren’t going into improving the team.
Would it have made a difference? Who knows. But the owner that won has a team that used its MLE to sign Cousins while deep into the tax, and the other a team with no 1st because they used it to shed a contract in the ultimate win season.
Ariza making 15 M was a joke tho.
loosing ariza and luc is not the reason why this team came up short… CP3 got older and there was a decline , Gordon also got cold again this postseason tucker was not the same force on the boards and on D he was last season and Harden peaked too early this season. and also need to realize iggy was out last year when the rox had the warriors on the ropes.
OK, let him go, but you have to replace the things he provided or add new ones. Most teams in that spot want to improve; not make their 6th man a starter, and fill out the bench with buyouts and minimums. If that’s how they want to roll, fine. But the owner putting out a statement like this is BS.
I wouldn’t really call it penny pinching, just bad decisions. Chris Paul and Clint Capela were both bad signings and are way overpaid.
Anthony Davis is going here. I just feel it.
It would have to be a sign-and-trade. Who would go to New Orleans? The four key guys make all the money and then the rest on minimums. Which of the four key guys do you give up? Capella + spare parts? I guess that’s doable.
On the Davis thread, I predicted Capela, Gordon, Hartenstein, and 2 1sts.
Capela is on a different timetable as the rest of the Rockets. He is not the guy to build around for the NEXT run for the Rockets and Davis is better than him for THIS run. However, he would be good for a team starting a rebuild now.
They’ll be using the next 4 1st rounders plus those trade exceptions for players on rookie deals.
They don’t have any draft picks, did you not read the article?
They have futures picks
Did you think I was talking about this years draft?
I think they need to upgrade the SF position. TJ Warren via trade or even Tyreke Evans in FA would upgrade that position. They really didn’t have anything due to a 3 guard lineup all year long. Neither Warren or Evans can shoot it like DAntoni/Morley want them too but they both can handle being a 3rd scorer if they sacrifice their numbers.
Another thing they need is another shooter. Eric Gordon is decent but his shot selection Vs Dubs was god awful at times. I personally think they should convince Redick to come. He could be Harden and CP3’s “Ray Allen”. Plus proven playoff metal and CP3 knows him very well.
Finally, speaking of CP3, they need to find a capable backup PG. I know Harden is the suedo PG when CP3 isn’t on the flood but he (CP3) looked old in these playoffs. I think they need to find a guy who can push the pace and also can run the offense very well (DJ Augustine) I’m not sure what’s his deal looks like but he would be a massive upgrade at the backup PG for them.
Overall, this roster was very flawed and even with an injured KD i had GSW as the better team due to the simple fact they had better ‘core talent’. I’ll take Steph/Klay/Dray over Harden/CP3/Gordon any day.
honestly rivers played really well for rox in the backup pg/sg role.
Who are the rox please?
Do you really need to be spoon fed that answer or can you possibly and try to figure that out through context?
fertitta’s a demonic freemason without a clue about basketball
I feel like best move would be to see if you can send CP3 to lakers so he can team up with BFF james. The rockets outbid themselves for CP3 last summer which is not the first time Morey has done this (Anderson,Scola,Lin) Mind you Harden was already under contract when they tore it up after the SA playoff meltdown and gave him a huge raise because the cap went up (even though Curry took it on the chin he was the friggin MVP and was underpaid because of the contract he had negotiated previously they didn’t want to risk hurting hardens little feelings. ANYWAYS so know the ROX are pretty much tied to Harden, Paul and Capela they are essentially the LAC part deux. Morey needs to nudge CP3 to want to play with LBJ and then he needs to make Buss and Pelinka feel like they are the ones who want CP3 and are forcing the trade.
I would like to see Paul and James on the same team too but the Lakers would have to send about $31MM in salary and they do not have that.
Oh, rox means rockets!
DUH!
Also DUH! For 2019/20 the Lakers are far enough below the cap not to have to match!
They might be hoping for a bigger fish though.
IT’S OVAH…unless they can get a “true leader” to carry this team to the championship. By now, it is safe to say with conviction that both James Harden & Chris Paul are only “regular season MVP types” and “only #2 options in a championship level team.
I’m sure there are about 25 or so NBA teams that would LOVE to have 2 “regular season MVP types” on the roster. And you say it like they are 6th men on G League teams.
We’re talking NBA CHAMPIONSHIP here…like Curry level or Klay level or Durant level. Up to this point (and they are both veterans in the playoffs already and both have already become franchise players) of their storied & decorated careers, they have shown that they are a level below Steph, Klay & KD. Facts are facts. With their status, salary & experience, and being together in one team, anything less than a conference title (equals NBA FINALS) is a disappointment….moreso versus an undermanned rival, their chief rival. No Boogie, no KD, home game & they still lose, that says it all.
Bold statements, how’ve they been working out for you, Rockets?
Let Ariza walk. what’s the worst that could happen ? One year later …..
Chris Paul eliminated in the second round. Like clockwork.
Chris Paul flops like someone dropped the remaining years of his contact on him.
Give CP3 credit for going to the podium and owning it. Where was The Beard? Left the court without offering handshakes or congrats. Tells you all you need to know about that dude. Phenomenal scorer, but all about himself.
That was poor sportsmanship by Rockets. When Clippers lost they hugged and talked to all of the GSW players. Harden was almost in the locker room when the buzzer sounded.
With Rosas in Minnesota, any player there without the initials “KAT” could probably be had. The Rockets now have an “in” there who is familiar with the players on the Rocket’s roster AND has no ties to any player on the roster of the Timberwolves. Rosas is probably itching to make an impact with his new team and will possibly try to turn them into the “Timberrockets in the same way that Thibodeau made them over into the Timberbulls .
sounds like he wants to get rid of the coach
Again…the Rockets were defeated by the better, deeper, and seasoned team. The Warriors came together despite injuries to key players and sealed the deal. There was not any moaning nor excuses about these players being injured. They just TOOK
CARE of business.
Upgrade his team? It was upgraded a bit by picking up Nene, Faried, Rivers and Shumpert. That made their bench deeper than at least the Warriors. Just like the Celtics, fans expected too much from them.