The Houston Rockets were very active this offseason in improving their roster. What moves did they make, and how will they impact the team next season?
There are few constants in the world, but NBA fans are accustomed to Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets being very active during the league’s offseason. This summer was no different, with the Rockets being one of the most active and changed teams in the entire league.
The Rockets have rarely used the draft as a way to build a team, so free agency is even more important to Houston in its quest to contend for a championship. With the Golden State Warriors dominating the league, Morey was more willing to take risks and make unique changes to the roster.
From the headliner trade for Chris Paul to the under-the-radar signings of role players such as Tarik Black and Luc Mbah a Moute, the Rockets improved this offseason as they look to challenge the Warriors and the other improved teams in the drastically changed Western Conference.
This offseason, the Rockets were able to both add a star and maintain bench depth in the process, which is a rare thing to do for a top contending team. With that being said, let’s review the Rockets’ offseason, grading each draft pick, trade and signing completed this summer.
2017 NBA Draft
As usual, the Rockets were quiet on draft night, having just two mid-second round selections (the latter being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2018 second round pick). The Rockets used the 43rd pick in the 2017 NBA Draft on the German big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
Hartenstein has a lot of potential and room to grow, especially as he stays overseas next season to work on his game. Hartenstein possess potential on both ends of the floor, making him an intriguing big man and second round selection.
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So far in his play overseas, he has been a good rebounder and shot-blocker. On the other end of the floor Hartenstein is a versatile scorer, and can spread the floor as a stretch-5 in the NBA. Hartenstein has good size, making him a physical presence on the floor at all times.
With his ability to hit from the perimeter or in the paint, he can score in a variety of ways, making him harder to guard. Simply put, Hartenstein has good potential on the offensive end of the floor.
A big concern with Hartenstein (and the reason he fell to the middle of the second round) is his basketball IQ and decision-making. Often times he isn’t disciplined enough defensively, and he doesn’t own a polished offensive game on the other end of the floor.
For Houston, Hartenstein might not even see an NBA floor until the 2018-19 season, in which case it’s even harder to evaluate their selection of him. The Rockets wanted to “draft and stash” this summer in order to maintain as much cap space as possible.
In the end, Hartenstein is a player with good potential on both ends of the floor, but also serious concerns that can prevent him from ever becoming a solid NBA player.
Grade: B
The Chris Paul trade
The big move the Rockets made this summer was the trade for Chris Paul. It was a very complicated trade, but in the end the major pieces involved in the deal were as follows:
The Rockets sacrificed a significant amount of their bench depth in this trade, but wanted to complete it before free agency began so they could use Paul as a recruiting chip for free agent targets.
The Los Angeles Clippers did well to get several rotation pieces, intriguing young players, and a first round pick (top-three protected) for a player that was leaving regardless. Patrick Beverley is playing on one of the best contracts in the league, Lou Williams is an excellent sixth man and Sam Dekker could blossom into a starter-quality combo forward. Montrezl Harrell showed some offensive prowess this past season as a spot starter and quality backup center.
For the Rockets though, they landed a second star to pair with Harden. As is the case in today’s NBA, a team needs multiple stars in order to truly compete for a championship. Of course there are questions surrounding the fit of Paul next to Harden, but as I have written previously, there are plenty of reasons to believe the two can fit well together.
With Paul taking some ball-handling and playmaking duties, Harden will have more energy to compete on the defensive end. Mike D’Antoni has already said there won’t be a moment in any game in which both Harden and Paul are on the bench, revealing that he will stagger the minutes of the two star guards, allowing them each ample time to run the offense.
Paul and Harden now form one of the best — and certainly most intriguing — backcourts in the entire NBA. The two seem motivated to play with each other and contend for a championship, and this trade was the first step in doing so.
Grade: A
Re-signing Nene
Early on in free agency, it was reported that Houston re-signed Nene to a four-year, $15 million contract. However, due to the new over-38 rule in the CBA, that contract wouldn’t be allowed, thus putting Nene back on the open market.
However, the two sides quickly agreed to a reduced three-year, $11 milion deal that will see the Brazilian big man in Houston for what are most likely his final years in the league.
Nene was very good for the Rockets last season, playing 67 games and averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. The Rockets carefully planned when to rest Nene and limited his minutes, which allowed him to be more productive in his smaller role.
Last season, Nene posted his highest Player Efficiency Rating (18.9) and win shares (4.1) since 2010-11. More importantly, Nene turned things on in the first round of the playoffs, averaging 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in the five-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And we can’t forget Nene’s incredible 28-point, 10-rebound game against the Thunder in Game 4:
At a little over $3 million per season, this is a good value signing for the Rockets. Nene is the perfect veteran big to back up Clint Capela, and provides Houston with leadership and toughness. Although he can only play a limited amount of minutes and games, Nene proved last season that he can still be a key role player for Houston.
Grade: A-
Signing P.J. Tucker
After trading for Paul, the Rockets needed to rebuild their bench. After all, they sent several rotational players to the Clippers in exchange for the future Hall of Fame point guard.
After the trade, the Rockets were left paper-thin in the frontcourt, making the four-year, $32 million signing of P.J. Tucker even more valuable and important.
Tucker is a versatile and physical defender that is capable of guarding both guards and forwards. His ability to switch on to smaller guards or bigger forwards is extremely valuable, especially in the Western Conference.
Last season Tucker posted a defensive box plus-minus of 1.9 and a defensive real plus-minus of 1.78, good for 12th in the league among small forwards.
Space City Scoop
However, given his relatively limited shooting ability, Tucker is best suited to play more minutes at power forward in small lineups. He can guard most opposing power forwards and is capable of switching onto guards in the pick-and-roll.
Tucker is certainly limited offensively, as he primarily spots up in the corner for three-pointers. For his career, 72.3 percent of his three-point attempts have come from the corner. Last season, he hit 45.5 percent of such shots from beyond the arc.
At around $8 million per year, the Rockets got Tucker signed on a very reasonable contract. Although he is already 32, Tucker should be slated to play above the contract value for at least the first two years of the contract. In fact, the fourth year of the contract is supposedly partially guaranteed.
After losing Patrick Beverley, the Rockets were in need of a tough, physical defender. Tucker has a similar attitude to the game as Beverley does, which will benefit the Rockets during tough stretches of the game and season. Plus, you can never have enough good defenders on your roster.
Grade: A-
Signing Tarik Black
The Rockets continued to bolster their bench depth as free agency went on. In the middle of July, Houston added Former Rocket Tarik Black to the bench on a one-year deal with his former team.
Black returns to Houston after playing the past two and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. This past season, Black averaged 5.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game in 16.3 minutes per game.
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Per 36 minutes, Black averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, showing he can help Houston on the glass and by defending the rim. Black can also help by setting good screens for players such as Paul and James Harden, allowing them to get separation on drives to the rim, thus opening shots on the perimeter.
Black’s role with the Rockets will be one similar to Montrezl Harrell‘s role last season: a third-string center that is the primary backup on nights that Nene rests. As mentioned in a previous slide, Nene doesn’t play both ends of back-to-backs and sits out other random games in order to be fresh for his 15-20 minute stretches during key games.
This signing didn’t make the headlines on SportsCenter, but it’s a very good value play for the Rockets (Black will make $3.29 million next season). Houston will continue to monitor Nene’s minutes and games played even more as he continues to get older, meaning Black could see an increased role for various stages throughout the season.
For other teams, a third center making over $3 million wouldn’t make much sense. It also remains to be seen what other free agents the Rockets could have used this money on. However, in Houston’s case, a third center is forced into a larger role several times during the season, thus putting more importance on having a quality third-stringer.
Grade: B+
Luc Mbah a Moute signing
First there was the re-signing of Nene. Then P.J. Tucker was added. After that, Houston agreed to sign Tarik Black, and last but not least, they agreed to add Luc Mbah a Moute.
The most important similarity in all of those signings is that all four of those players are (for the most part) defensive-minded, especially Tucker and Mbah a Moute.
Michael Scotto reported that Mbah a Moute will sign for the veteran’s minimum on a one-year deal, which is incredible value for Houston. Mbah a Moute declined a $2.3 million player option to enter free agency this season, and the Rockets were able to sign him for even less money at $2.1 million.
Even though Mbah a Moute didn’t find a free agency deal until mid-July, and even though he will take the veteran’s minimum, don’t be fooled: He is worth much more than that salary. Mbah a Moute will turn 31 before the 2017-18 season starts, but he still a very good defender and is coming off a career shooting year.
Last year, he posted a 1.6 defensive box plus-minus and was ninth in the league among power forwards in defensive real plus-minus, posting a 2.32. Mbah a Moute is a very versatile defender, and at 6’8″ he is able to guard a variety of positions, from guards to power forwards.
In the above video, Mbah a Moute forces Leonard into tough shot after tough shot, stands his ground against Aldridge, and forces a couple of turnovers on both players. That is how you play excellent defense against two very skilled offensive players.
Turning to the offensive side of his game, Mbah a Moute could be a stranglehold on Houston’s offense with his limited shooting or ball-handling. To say Mbah a Moute relies on other players to create open looks for him would be an understatement. For his career, 70.4 percent of Mbah a Moute’s two-point field goals and 97.9 percent of his three-pointers have been assisted on.
Looking at his shooting, there is reason for optimism. Even though he is a career 32.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc, last season Mbah a Moute shot a career high 39.1 percent on three-pointers.
With the Rockets bench now consisting of Eric Gordon, Tucker, Mbah a Moute, and Nene, it will be interesting to see the rotations that Mike D’Antoni comes up with, especially when it relates to playing both Tucker and Mbah a Moute together.
In the end, the signing of Mbah a Moute for the veteran’s minimum is an absolute steal for the Rockets. Mbah a Moute provides Houston with another above-average defender and an improved shooter. Even after trading several rotational players to obtain Chris Paul, the Rockets are once again a deep team. Only this time, they’re an improved defensive team as well.
Grade: A
Signing Troy Williams
When it comes to NBA Summer League, most teams are focused on finding diamonds in the rough. Those diamonds are NBA-level, rotational players playing at an entire other level compared to their Summer League counterparts.
Finding even one such player (besides the hyped up and well-known draft picks) would be considered a huge success for a team, so the Rockets are surely feeling good about Troy Williams.
After watching Williams impress during Summer League, Houston was able to sign him to a three-year, $4.7 million. The deal is partially guaranteed each season, so if Williams is unable to crack the rotation or show growth as a player, the Rockets can cut him loose without any financial burden.
Now, Williams does have experience playing in the NBA, as he played 30 games and 557 minutes (including six with Houston) last season in his rookie campaign, where he averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
In the five Summer League games he played this year, Williams averaged 22 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.
Williams might not have playmaking ability (he averaged just 1.6 assists per game this summer), but that’s not what his role would be with the Rockets. Williams’ role would be to play good defense (which he has been known to do in the past), and spot up for open shots, preferably beyond the arc.
In Summer League, Williams showed the ability to do just that:
Williams displayed natural scoring abilities, even if those abilities won’t be used in the same exact manner with the Rockets due to the presence of Chris Paul and James Harden.
With the Rockets trading Sam Dekker away in the Chris Paul trade, there is a spot in the rotation up for grabs, even with the Rockets adding Tucker during free agency.
If Williams can become an average (~35 percent) three-point shooter while continuing to provide solid defense, he will surely get a look as an end-of-the-rotation player for Houston this upcoming season.
Grade: B+
Overall
What an offseason. For about 2-3 weeks starting in late June and ending in mid-July, there weren’t any opportunities for Rockets fans to relax. Daryl Morey was seemingly always on the verge of a trade or free agency signing.
In the end, the 2017-18 Rockets will look vastly different than the previous year’s squad. Gone are Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrel. Enter Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Tarik Black (alongside the returning Nene).
Houston Rockets
The Rockets now have two of the best playmakers and ball-handlers in the entire league. Of course, it will take time for Paul and Harden to mesh, but when they do, the Rockets’ offense may actually be better than last year.
However, the defensive end of the floor is where Houston should see bigger strides. After ranking 18th in the league last season, the Rockets added very good defenders in Paul, Tucker and Mbah a Moute. Combining those players with Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela and Nene will lead to a much improved (and possibly top-10) defense.
The Rockets won 55 games last season, and the team took home two individual awards (Mike D’Antoni as Coach of the Year and Eric Gordon as Sixth Man of the Year). However, Daryl Morey knew that a second star must be acquired and better defenders must be added to the roster.
While it’s tough to see beloved players such as Beverley leave in addition to developing young players like Dekker and Harrell, Rockets fans will be pleased to see a better balanced team that is still incredibly fun to watch.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Would it have been better to not give up as much to get Paul? Sure. But it’s hard to really fault any moves the Rockets made this summer, putting them firmly in the driver’s seat to be the primary competitor to the Warriors.
Grade: A