Why the Houston Rockets might be the team of free agency

Although the start of free agency is just two weeks away, the Houston Rockets have had their name linked to multiple All-Stars over the last few weeks. Can the team that finished the regular season with the best record in basketball last season find a way to win the offseason?

The domino effect might be considered as more primitive than the analytics that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey uses to complete his job.

However, the man who help to create the true shooting percentage statistic appears to prefer the former way of thinking over the latter as of recent times.

Just eight days after the Rockets dropped Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, Morey revealed his full-fledged plans for the offseason with the rest of the country, sharing how the Golden State Warriors continue to consume his day-to-day thoughts as an executive:

"“I’d say 10,” Morey said to ESPN‘s Cassidy Hubbarth when asked about the level with which he is infatuated with taking down the defending world champions. “I don’t understand the teams that aren’t obsessed with beating them. To win the championship, you have to beat the Warriors.”“We’re gonna have to load it up and knock them off next year hopefully.”"

While he did not need any television time to reveal his given thoughts, Morey managed to successfully echo the same sentiments that Rockets fans have known to be true for over the last year.

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In an offseason where most teams decided to stand pat with their respective rosters, Houston managed to contrive a squad that was designed to take down the team by the Bay. The fell short, but came close to pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the decade.

James Harden‘s MVP campaign, combined with the rise of Clint Capela and the seamless addition of Chris Paul, helped the Rockets win a league-best 65 games during the regular season. This came prior to pushing Golden State all the way in a best-of-seven affair, before Paul suffered a hamstring injury in Game 5 that would change the entire complexion of the series.

However, the Rockets somehow managed to send a message to one of the greatest teams ever assembled, as they proved that they are the one of the few teams in the NBA who could stand toe-to-toe against them during the playoffs.

"“Anything can happen over the summer,” Warriors forward Kevin Durant told reporters when asked how close the Rockets are to catching Golden State following the series. “For both sides…I know that I gained a lot of respect for this team over the season.”“This team is for real.”"

It’s a statement like that that makes the upcoming offseason feel as though it belongs to the Rockets, a team that is currently in the sweepstakes for LeBron James, alongside of a front office that will seek to make a major splash in the weeks to break even should they fail to land him.

Before coming within a game of reaching the NBA Finals this past season, Houston acquired Paul in a blockbuster trade that helped to lay the foundation for this summer, as James is not the only star who is reportedly interested in wearing Rocket red.

According to recent reports over the last week, Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan has been intent on doing whatever it takes to play in Houston, after reportedly taking the time to speak with several Rockets players throughout the season and express his given desires to return to his hometown.

While it currently appears to be a long shot, the Rockets could seek to pursue him should they fail to re-sign Capela, a restricted free agent who will likely be granted a max contract by a team at the early onset of free agency and force Houston’s hand.

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Nobody knows for sure what might happen over the course of the next few weeks, but should Morey find ways to maneuver with Houston’s current cap space, then the Rockets could possibly put themselves in position to win this summer and form one of the most potent super-teams the sport has ever seen.

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