Houston Rockets: Early bold predictions for 2018 offseason

3. Clint Capela leaves via restricted free agency

Morey has big plans for this offseason. Really big plans. Unfortunately, as some of the Rockets players will soon find out, those plans don’t necessarily include them.

That’s because Houston is preparing to make a run at LeBron when he inevitably hits free agency in July. It’s a bold tactic considering their odds of landing the King, but Morey has never been one to sit idly by and pass on an opportunity to secure top-tier talent. He missed on his pursuit of Carmelo Anthony last offseason — he’s not going to let it happen again.

As mentioned, though, that means cutting ties with a number of other players. Trevor Ariza will be allowed to walk, along with all other pending free agents. Even then, they’d need to make a significant number of sacrifices to create the necessary cap space, as SB Nation‘s Tim Cato illustrated.

In the end, some difficult decisions will need to be made. However, Morey gets an inkling from someone within James’ camp that he’s seriously considering Houston. So the Rockets general manager takes Cato’s “scorched earth” approach, purging the roster. In that process, restricted free agent Clint Capela is signed to a max offer by another team, which isn’t matched.

I know it seems ridiculous. Capela is an underrated asset for the Rockets whose rim protection and pick-and-roll game are key cogs in this team’s success. These wouldn’t be bold predictions if I chose to play it safe, though.