Philadelphia 76ers: A 4-team, blockbuster trade involving James Harden
By Simon Smith
Houston Rockets overview
As already mentioned, the Rockets are seemingly in a state of flux. Having been bounced from the postseason for the second straight season by the Golden State Warriors, this time in the second round, it seems clear Morey and his staff believe that now is an appropriate time for change.
For his part, there’s not much more All-Star James Harden could’ve done. The reigning league MVP somehow managed to raise his game another level, this time posting the highest regular season scoring average since Michael Jordan in 1987. Another player to raise his game was center Clint Capela.
The Houston Rockets have let go of player development assistant coach Irv Roland, who worked very closely with James Harden as well as Chris Paul and PJ Tucker, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 24, 2019
Posting career-highs in points, rebounds and minutes per game, Capela more than justified the five-year deal he signed last summer. Unfortunately, his effectiveness was somewhat diluted in the postseason, with his overall production and playing time notably down from the regular season.
Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni has ended talks with management on a contract extension, league sources tell ESPN. D’Antoni plans to complete the final season of his deal in 2019-20. Story soon on ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 30, 2019
Then there’s Chris Paul, who, for the second successive season, played in just 58 regular season games for the Rockets, this time around primarily due to a recurrence of the hamstring injury that prematurely ended his 2018 postseason. So while he’s now 34 and likely to be at the top of the Rockets’ trading list, the $120 million owed on the final three years of his deal means it going to be a stretch to get a deal done.
Aside from the front office looking to move on from key players, the Rockets’ coaching staff has also undergone an upheaval, with several assistants leaving, and head coach Mike D’Antoni breaking off talks for a contract extension.
Considering the changes that have already commenced, it wouldn’t come as a major shock if the Rockets were to pull off some significant changes to their playing roster.