Houston Rockets: Grading The Offseason

Brewing Up An Extension

What the Rockets saved with the Beverley re-signing, they lavishly spent on Corey Brewer’s extension. Because even after some of his heroic postseason exploits last year, giving the energetic wing a three-year, $24 million extension feels like something of an overpay.

In 56 games for the Rockets last season, Brewer averaged 11.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game with all but one of them coming off the bench. In the playoffs, it was his epic fourth quarter performance — combined with Josh Smith’s — that helped Houston stave off elimination in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.

That being said, $8 million a year is a steep price to pay for a 29-year-old “3-and-D” player who has never really ever brought the “3” element in his career. The Rockets need their players to shoot those open perimeter looks, but Brewer only made 28.4 percent of his 3.4 three-point attempts per game in Houston.

Then again, Brewer is a great fit on this team. He loves to leak out and singlehandedly ignite fast breaks, allowing Houston to play at their frenetic pace offensively. He provides depth on the wing behind Trevor Ariza and when it mattered most, he came through for Houston in the playoffs.

For a team that is coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance and started clicking at the perfect time last year, keeping that chemistry intact was a big priority for Houston. The Rockets had to slightly overpay for his services, but Brewer fits in well enough to justify it for a contender.

Grade: B

Next: Adding Thornton