Houston Rockets: Early bold predictions for 2018 offseason

2. Rockets create space for LeBron, but he stays in Cleveland

Despite making all of the moves, letting Capela go, and convincing Chris Paul to accept a reduced salary, James stays in Cleveland. He spurns the Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, sticking with the team that originally brought him into the league.

It’s a surprising move of sorts, especially after Morey got the tip that Houston was a frontrunner for his services. It also leaves the franchise in shambles, with a shell of their outstanding 2017-18 roster remaining. It was a gamble from the get-go — one that could end up costing the Rockets their chance at the NBA Finals in 2019.

They gave it their best shot. They pitched James with dreams of more rings than could fit on his 10 fingers. Playing alongside Harden, Paul and Eric Gordon would’ve be the best supporting cast he’d seen during his 13-year NBA career. The stars were going to align, bringing with them unprecedented success the likes of which he’d never seen.

And yet, he chose Cleveland. Loyalty FTW!

The one positive is that the Rockets now have plenty of cap space to work with. Paul is still re-signed at a discount, giving Houston enough room for a max contract along with a little breathing room. What they choose to do with said cap space, though, is for the next item on our list.