NBA: Top 5 candidates for Executive of the Year Award in 2017-18

5. Daryl Morey

The Houston Rockets were the only team in the association to make moves this summer that will seriously challenge the Golden State Warriors’ reign, and it’s no surprise the ambitious Daryl Morey was behind it all.

With an MVP candidate in his prime, a coach who’s a perfect fit for the team’s 3-point heavy attack and a bunch of gunners, the Rockets were right on the cusp of pushing beyond “dark horse” status out West. What they needed was another star piece, a little more 3-point accuracy and a boost on the defensive end.

Morey went about addressing those offseason needs like the world’s most diligent parent handling the weekly groceries, checking off every item on the list in perfectly methodical fashion.

The Chris Paul trade is obviously the headliner, and though it’s unfortunate Houston was unable to sign him outright rather than trade for him, they would have needed to shed significant salary to afford him in free agency anyway.

No one knows how it’ll work outside of Mike D’Antoni staggering his minutes with James Harden‘s, but there’s too much talent, playmaking and 3-point shooting for it to not work. And as if CP3 trade and Harden extension weren’t sweet enough, the Rockets also added P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute to address the team’s defensive needs.

Will these moves actually make Houston a legitimate threat to the super-team Warriors? Only time will tell. But no one got closer to doing so than Houston this summer, and even if Morey had more to start the offseason with, you have to admire the never-back-down mentality and execution to match it.