Houston Rockets: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Re-signing Chris Paul

While most teams sought to open up free agency by acquiring new pieces, Houston sought to quickly lock down one of its most vital pieces by coming to terms with Chris Paul on a four-year, $160 million max contract on July 1.

Paul — a nine-time All-Star — played a pivotal role in the Rockets’ success last season alongside MVP James Harden, averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game en route to helping Houston advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Now, the 33-year-old floor general will seek to lead the Rockets back to the place where last year’s championship hopes ended, as Paul once again attempts to help Clucth City unseat the Golden State Warriors.

Although most sources around the league never expected Paul to leave the organization this summer, his return provides Houston with a chance to officially compete for the foreseeable future.

Most fans could not help but wonder what their championship hopes might look like without him after having the last three months to reflect upon last year’s run.

In 15 games on the 2018 NBA Playoffs, Paul averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

He also proved to be arguably the most essential component to the Rockets in his first-ever conference finals appearance — scoring 47 points and dishing out 10 assists combined in Games 4 and 5 against Golden State to help the Rockets take a 3-2 series lead before missing the final two games with a right hamstring injury.

Paul is scheduled to make the bulk of his money at the back end of his contract, and while the deal could prove to be costly pending upon his age and health, re-signing him for $45 million less than originally expected would be considered as a steal should Houston capture their first NBA championship since 1995.

One could easily argue that the franchise could not afford to let him walk.

Grade: A