Houston Rockets: 3 goals for James Ennis in 2018-19

3. Earn spot in the starting lineup

Despite signing to play for the veteran’s minimum, Ennis will have the chance to earn extended playing time from the moment he arrives in Houston, as the man who will seek to fill the role of Mbah a Moute and Trevor Ariza will soon receive the opportunity to garner his largest one yet.

Ennis — who received interest from several teams prior to signing with the Rockets in July — is expected to compete for a starting role at small forward in training camp, per NBA insider Shams Charania.

Although Ennis will have to edge out fellow newcomer Carmelo Anthony to win the job, earning a spot in the Rockets’ starting lineup would make for a mighty accomplishment. Thriving as a two-way player alongside James Harden and Chris Paul for 30-plus minutes a night could help him accumulate a nice payday on the market next summer.

Should Ennis find a way to hit catch-and-shoot triples and finish consistently in transition, then knocking off the future Hall-of-Famer might become a possible reality. Landing the starting gig outright on a championship contender could serve as the main spark that propels him toward a career year in Houston.