Houston Rockets: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

The Houston Rockets came within a whisper of the NBA Finals, but now the bill comes due. What goals should the team strive for in the 2018 NBA offseason?

The Houston Rockets did not cower in the shadow of the Golden State Warriors. Instead they went on the offensive last offseason, trading for Chris Paul and adding pieces that created a weapon aimed at the Warriors themselves.

A franchise-record 65 wins and a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals stand as proof that the Rockets nearly achieved their goal. They did not topple the Warriors, but they came as close as you can. They proved that the Warriors are not inevitable, and that the right kind of moves can make the offseason a launching pad into dangerous relevance.

Houston will need to strike oil again this summer, as the carefully-crafted Warriors-killer it assembled is hitting the open market. Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela, Gerald Green and Luc Mbah a Moute — 62 percent of their conference finals rotation — are all free agents come July 1.

General manager Daryl Morey will have some hard decisions to make. Should they try to bring every back, including signing Paul to a $200 million contract, and wade deep into the luxury tax to take another swing at the Warriors? Do they let someone else pay Paul into his mid-to-late 30s as they seek cheaper alternatives? What about Clint Capela, an ultra-talented player who plays the league’s most marginalized position?

Free agency and its many decisions are fast approaching. What are five goals the Houston Rockets should have for the offseason?