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Houston Rockets: 3 young free agents that fit their timeline

By Nick Swanson

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Kevin Porter Jr. #3 of the Houston Rockets walks out on court during player introductions prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on April 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Kevin Porter Jr. #3 of the Houston Rockets walks out on court during player introductions prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on April 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Rockets Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The season started with very high hopes for the Houston Rockets. The H, H-Town, Space City, whichever moniker you choose, fans were hyped. James Harden, the face of Houston, was finally going to get the Rockets to the promised land. Until he then chose to force his way out less than ten games into the 2020 season.

The team that began the year with legitimate championship promise fell apart in an instant and led to one of the worst seasons in Rockets history. As if Harden abandoning the franchise wasn’t enough, more players wanted out following his departure. DeMarcus Cousins and P.J. Tucker were the first wave of players to want out of Houston then Victor Oladipo, the man who was traded to Houston in the Harden deal, followed suit.

After the James Harden trade, the Houston Rockets looked to be going into a full rebuild. They’ve already found a young core, who else could we see added?

Houston’s hopes and dreams all disappeared within what felt like an instant. The Rockets went on to finish the season 17-55, the third-worst record in team history and second since relocating to Houston.

On the bright side for the Rockets, they have a ton of young, up and coming players. The group of Kevin Porter Jr., Christian Wood and Jae’Sean Tate have the ability to become stars in the NBA. If the team can keep those guys under contract for the next 8-10 years, the future is very bright in Clutch City.

The Rockets are expected to have upwards of $20 million in cap room to use on this loaded free agency class. With the average age of players being approximately 26.6 years, the Rockets could look to continue to get younger to build around the current corps.

The team is clearly nowhere near competing for a playoff spot, much less a championship, so at this point the only clear way to go is for youth over experience.

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