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Houston Rockets: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 25, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Houston Rockets
Apr 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) celebrates after scoring a basket during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. The Rockets won 118-110. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

A Beard Extension

To be perfectly honest, the best part of Daryl Morey’s offseason was securing James Harden for the long-term with a rarely seen contract extension — and even that statement is sure to be controversial given the Beard’s almost universal disapproval rating these days.

With a four-year, $118 million contract extension, the Rockets committed to Harden for the long haul, paying him an average annual salary of $29.5 million and granting him a $32.7 million player option for the final year in 2019-20.

With the salary cap expanding the way that it is and all the other quality free agents gone, committing a considerable chunk of cap space to keep the franchise star satisfied is a justifiable move. It only delays Harden from hitting free agency by a year, but that extra time could be crucial given the way this summer’s rebuild has gone.

The truth is, the jury is still out on whether Mike D’Antoni is still a good coach in the modern NBA. He’ll be coaching the best playmaker he’s had since Steve Nash with James Harden, but the personnel on this team is set to exaggerate the stereotypes about the many defensive flaws of his previous teams.

If D’Antoni can’t turn the ship around quickly, and with Morey dishing out four-year deals to both Anderson and Gordon, the Rockets’ window for assembling a contender around Harden will close quicker than you’d think.

Say what you want about Harden, but he’s an offensive force who just put up Kobe Bryant-in-his-prime numbers over the last two seasons. He’s an offense unto himself and a bonafide MVP candidate when he actually tries on defense (which was rare in 2015-16, but actually happened in 2014-15, when he finished second in MVP voting).

This move buys the Rockets some extra time, keeps the franchise star happy, establishes a positive relationship by making him Houston’s highest paid player and brings stability. That’s a pretty deft way to put Dwight Howard’s extra cap space to good use.

Grade: A

Next: Odds And Ends

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