Rockets officials hope to meet with several of their top targets in Los Angeles when free agency begins in a few hours, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Sources tell Iko that Houston has already set up meetings with Dillon Brooks and Brook Lopez and will try to arrange sessions with Fred VanVleet, Kyrie Irving, Bruce Brown, Dwight Powell, Jakob Poeltl and possibly Kyle Kuzma.
Brown is of particular interest because the Rockets would be willing to go above the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign him, according to Iko’s sources. Head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant in Brooklyn when Brown played there and they have maintained a good relationship, Iko adds.
With more than $60MM in cap space, Houston officials are confident about signing their main targets, according to Iko, although some may prefer teams with more recent success. He confirms that the Rockets are hoping to avoid long-term contracts and will compensate by offering players more money up front than they’re likely to get elsewhere. Shooting, defense and rim protection will be the main focus, Iko states.
There’s more on the Rockets, all courtesy of Iko:
- Houston is hoping to land a veteran point guard in free agency, but there’s a back-up plan if they can’t sign VanVleet, Irving or someone of that stature. Sources tell Iko that the Rockets would pursue someone like Brown, a strong perimeter defender who can handle the ball, and give Jalen Green and first-round pick Amen Thompson a greater share of the playmaking duties.
- Iko hears that a Kenyon Martin Jr. trade is increasingly likely, as talks with other teams have increased throughout the week. Martin may not have a place on the revamped roster, and the team could add cap room by unloading his $1.93MM contract for next season.
- Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson and Hawks center Clint Capela are two names to watch if the Rockets opt to use their cap space through trades rather than free agency. Iko notes that Utah executive Danny Ainge is reported to have interest in acquiring Martin and suggests that Houston might be willing to include second-year point guard TyTy Washington and maybe a second-round pick in a potential deal. Iko points out that Clarkson is eligible for an extension after picking up his $14.26MM option for next season and says the Rockets may offer something along the lines of $32MM over two years. Iko adds that Capela could be available straight up for Martin as Atlanta tries to shed salary.
Other than Green and Spegurn if your a young player on the team the last few years, your career is over.
They are being pushed out.
Worse team in the league. They need to identify players they want to build around and get rid of the ones who don’t fit. They need to try something different for sure.
I don’t think Jabari Smith is going anywhere. If they sign/trade for a 4, I don’t see it reducing his minutes to the point where he’s ultimately pushed off the roster.
So let’s say Rockets sign FVV and trade for Capela – would look like:
FVV
Jalen
Jabari
Amen
Capela
Then KPJ, Sengun, and Tari as first three off bench.
Not a playoff team but improved and youngsters continue to develop.
I don’t think they’d have amen starting. I feel like Tari would be at the 3 and Jabari at the 4. I would love getting fvv and capela. Really hated letting him go because Westbrook said so. I’d really like to see kpj in the 6th man role he could really excel there
I like Tari’s game – could see him in the lineup while Amen develops more.
What do they trade for Capela, though? The Hawks already have a lot of wings; they don’t really need Martin. I know that’s what it says here, but I don’t buy it.
Sengun
I’m not very high on sengun think he’s too small to play center but a capela for sengun trade would require some first round picks going to the rockets
Sounds like you are very high on Sengun
Correction I’m extremely high 24/7. I thunk sengun is a good player just think he’s more a Pf instead of an undersized center
Capela for Martin was floated I’d expect a 2nd round or two going Atlanta’s way if that happened. Not sure Capela would want to come back after he was just thrown away before. I know he has no choice in a trade but wouldn’t be smart to bring in someone with bad blood towards the organization
I don’t think he has bad blood with Houston. Morey isn’t there anymore (he’s the one who traded him iirc), and he’s proven himself with Atlanta in the time since.
I still don’t buy Martin to Atl at all. They have like five guys with a similar skillset.
Also yeah. Sengun might have some limitations, but he’s far and away the most proven prospect the Rockets have right now. At least an equivalent player or a first in addition to Capela would have to come back in return. Though seeing him and Okongwu form a Center platoon in Atlanta would be interesting, especially since he’d play off Atlanta’s backcourt pretty well imo.
Green & Porter are just as proven if not moreso than Sengun. But yeah I’d love to see him & Onyeka bc unlike Clint/Onyeka, Sengun could play together with Onyeka
Green still seems incredibly raw. Just drives straight into traffic and puts up junk shots. The talent is there, but he just looks so one-dimensional. Probably because the Rockets effed up the first two years of his development by handing him the ball and going “good luck!”
Porter yeah, but the Rockets aren’t trading him for Capela because they’re trying to fill their salary cap.
He was their only outside scorer. With a fake point guard like porter jr it makes sense the Green had lived up to his potential. Bring in a real play making point guard and I can see him being a top 30 player in the next 2 years
** hadn’t lived up to his potential
Yeah, about what I thought. But I stand by calling him underdeveloped for that reason. He’s still just so raw even as a third year prospect. He has potential and I honestly do believe in him despite the way Houston has treated him, but comparing his development to Sengun’s is a non-starter.
Bringing Capela back would be smart
Kelly Iko has no connections to the rockets organization. All his sources come from a guy who knows a guy that hangs out with (insert player’s name here). He is a puppet for player’s teams and agents. So while something’s may be true, because more reputable sources are reporting it, take everything he says with a grain of salt. It literally carries the same weight as any of us in here saying we heard something.