By immediately flipping guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin after receiving them from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Houston Rockets have positioned themselves just below the luxury tax line. They now have only 12 players under contract and must add at least one more in the next two weeks if they do not do so in the next hour.
Although the team has achieved its goal of getting out of tax territory (by also trading Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, and James Ennis), it is expected to explore signing free-agent veterans in the post-deadline buyout market. This will put the Rockets back above the tax threshold unless there is another move to come, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that they will be active regardless.
The buyout market is expected to include a small handful of wings that can complement Houston’s roster. Wayne Ellington, dealt from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, seeking a buyout, is one option. Wesley Matthews, anticipated to be bought out by the New York Knicks, could be another.
