Even with a fully healthy team, for the fourth time in five years, the Houston Rockets’ season came to an end in the NBA playoffs thanks to the Golden State Warriors.
Heading into the offseason, the Rockets have no NBA draft picks to offer, no cap space to work with and two very heavy contracts belonging to James Harden and Chris Paul.
Yet, there is still the possibility the front office can make some moves, make some trades and snag some worthwhile free agents this summer.
RocketsWire is exploring and breaking down those free agents, and what they can offer to the team.
Thaddeus Young
If the Rockets are at all serious about getting someone to compliment Clint Capela down low, Young has to be one of the top candidates on the list of players they’re considering.
Before Victor Oladipo went down with his season-ending, the Indiana Pacers were one of the top-3 teams in the Eastern Conference. By the time the postseason rolled around, Indy finished fifth. Young played a big part in the Pacers not dropping to eighth or out of contention without their star player.
Although he only averaged 0.4 blocks per game in 2018-19, Young’s big frame gives opponents reason to worry when driving to the rack. He also wreaks havoc around the perimeter, forcing shooters to rush their shot or hesitate until their opportunity is gone. Also, Young finished in the top-15 in the NBA in steals per game (1.52), something the Rockets clearly value (P.J. Tucker ranked 11 with 1.61, Paul third with 1.97 and Harden second with 2.03). He can also help clean up the glass (6.5 per game in 2018-19)
In addition to his defense, Young can provide some offense — though he doesn’t command as many touches as Tobias Harris. Young can shoot the three (34.9 percent) but didn’t take a ton of long-range shots in Indy, but that can change if he’s integrated into Houston’s offense. His game is inside the arc, where he doesn’t miss much (56.4 percent).
One thing he will command, though, is a decent chunk of change. Young made $13.764 million last year and made no less than $11.235 million a season throughout his last four-year contract. His hit against the cap is the only problem Young could present.
Young is the definition of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Do you want him to call Houston home?
