2018 NBA free agency: 5 best signings
5. James Ennis, Houston Rockets: 2 years, $3.4 million
The Houston Rockets are not a winner of free agency after letting Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute walk for financial, not basketball, reasons. They also appear to be trying to lowball Clint Capela — their right in a tough market, but a dangerous game to play.
Yet this is evaluating a signing, not the whole of an offseason, and the Rockets did well in signing Ennis. The former Long Beach State University player has bounced around the league in his short career, last season playing for Memphis and Detroit. At 6’7″, Ennis has the size to guard multiple positions on the wing, a massive need for the Rockets after losing Ariza and Mbah a Moute.
Free agent James Ennis has agreed to a two-year deal with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Yahoo. Deal includes player option in second season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 11, 2018
Houston wants rotation players that can space the floor, and Ennis comes in with a mixed pedigree in that area. A career 35.9 percent shooter from deep, Ennis shot just 33.3 percent last season. It should be pointed out, however, that the sample size is still quite small — if five more 3-point shots go in, he’s suddenly league-average.
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The Rockets will bank on their system and coaching staff to elevate Ennis into a reliable shooter. They have a track record to lean back on in that regard. Both P.J. Tucker and Mbah a Moute entered last season as inconsistent 3-point shooters, and both averaged more than a 3-pointer per game on solid efficiency last year.
With Chris Paul and James Harden picking apart the defense and finding open shooters, Ennis will not need to be elite from deep. If he can simply keep the defense honest, he will fill a valuable role. Defensively he has not had much opportunity to stretch his wings, but the Rockets will need him to step up.
This is not a slam dunk move, but for a team in the tax, it was the best option available on the market. If Ennis can step in as a full-time rotation player and provide the same sort of impact as Mbah a Moute last year — if weighted more towards offense than defense — this will be a successful signing.
Houston fans and most likely the coaching staff will wish they had Ariza instead, but everyone has to live with the reality of the situation. Ennis was the best available option and the Rockets brought him in.