Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from the 2019 NBA offseason
Despite retaining most of their key pieces during the offseason, the Houston Rockets would still find a way to bring in yet another star to the Space City.
In spite of producing a relatively quiet period at the onset of the offseason, the Houston Rockets would quietly strike once the free agency dust officially settled.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
They would do so while keeping the majority of their integral core fully intact, as general manager Daryl Morey and his front office staff worked extensively beyond the clock to agree to deals with several players this summer.
Houston — which entered the offseason without a single draft pick and restricted cap space — successfully re-signed Danuel House Jr., Gerald Green and Austin Rivers during the early days of free agency period.
The Rockets did all of this while still taking a chance on a pair of former lottery picks, signing Ben McLemore and Anthony Bennett to partially guaranteed deals to fill out the roster.
However, none of the subsequent moves would be significant as to what soon followed, as Morey and Houston successfully secured one of the game’s premier point guards.
In a move that would leave many around the basketball world in awe, the Rockets landed eight-time All-Star Russell Westbrook via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, to pair the NBA assist leader with the league’s scoring champion, James Harden, once again.
Did the franchise that has managed to give the mighty Golden State Warriors fits over the last two seasons find a way to construct a strong offseason in 2019? Here are the three most significant takeaways from the Rockets offseason to date.