The Rockets are considering making a roster move in advance of the resumption of the 2019/20 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who reports that signing Tyler Johnson is one possibility the team has looked at.
Johnson, 28, was sent to Phoenix at the 2019 trade deadline and appeared in 44 total games for the club, including 31 this season. Formerly a solid rotation player in Miami, Johnson had a down year with the Suns in 2019/20, averaging just 5.7 PPG and 1.6 APG on .380/.289/.750 shooting in 16.6 minutes per contest.
After not finding a deal that used his expiring contract at the trade deadline in February, the Suns waived Johnson a few days later. He has been a free agent since then and would be eligible to join a team for the NBA’s summer restart.
If the Rockets want to sign Johnson, they’ll have to open up a roster spot to do so. After signing Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll on the buyout market, Houston has a full 15-man squad, with both two-way slots used as well.
Feigen doesn’t name a specific player whose roster spot may be in jeopardy if the Rockets make a move. However, Tyson Chandler, Bruno Caboclo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Thabo Sefolosha are among the players on the roster who have limited roles and aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this season.
Rockets need stretch 5. Not Tyler
True, but he would probably be an upgrade over Sefolosha.
I doubt they will get rid of Hartenstein, who still has one non-guaranteed year left on his contract before he would become a RFA in 2021. They can also re-sign Caboclo after the season since they have early bird rights on him. So if they cut anyone it would likely be Sefolosha, or far less likely Chandler.
Do they need Bruno after signing Jeff Green and Carroll? I don’t watch the rockets so don’t know ins and outs of the rotation but seems redundant
He’s more of a long-term project. Carroll hasn’t played much after signing with Houston, and he will almost certainly get a better offer elsewhere after the season. But next season there should be room for both Jeff Green and Caboclo since both of them would be easy to re-sign and Chandler probably won’t be coming back either.
Houston Rockets may add a Big Johnson.