NBA Free Agency: Where do the Rockets go from here?

Hallelujah!

Much to the delight of myself, as well as the NBA community at-large, the Houston Rockets were saved from themselves when the news broke that Jimmy Butler had agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Miami Heat — a similarly capped-out team with a far-less appealing cache of contracts to move in order to make this move possible.

The Rockets, a long-time suitor for Butler, have essentially been left at the altar despite the fact that the contracts they would be sending out (Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and perhaps P.J. Tucker) were, by far, more attractive assets than Josh Richardson and the expiring contract of Goran Dragic.

Now, with the wedding paid for, the chicken and fish ready to serve, and the Rockets standing up there with the NBA world staring blankly as Reverend Daryl Morey clutches the good book with anxiety, the groom-to-be has taken his talents to South Beach, and the Rockets have some explaining to do.

For starters, they’re gonna have to sit young Capela down and either attempt to soothe what are sure to be hurt feelings after a very public campaign to rid themselves of their only rim protecting, paint-clogging big, or admit that last postseason showed that changes are necessary and will soon be enacted.

The Rockets’ “strong confidence” in these Butler negotiations have ended much like the Western Conference Semifinals did — in embarrassment.

While I’m all for the bluster and charm of new owner Tilman Fertitta, his approach has led to numerous rookie mistakes that are sabotaging his team from within.

Is Chris Paul’s contract an albatross? Yes, with increasing truth as the years roll by. But guess what? YOU OK’D IT! You can hate it all you want, but don’t make yourself seem inept by publicly decrying it.

You know what’s worse than an aging legend with a virtually untradeable contract? An aging legend with an untradeable contract who now feels unappreciated and compelled to ensure that the remaining years of that contract, for you, are as painful as possible.

The treatment of head coach Mike D’Antoni is another black eye for the organization. Fertitta has even gone so far as to state, implicitly on camera, that D’Antoni’s agent rejecting their original offer was “good for me in case I want to make a move.”

Slow your roll, cupcake. That’s not how you treat guys with a .703 winning percentage. Might be what you think, but it’s not what you say and that’s not some PC bullshit, that’s just smart business. You lose a lot of leverage not just in those negotiations, but all others as well when people see you so flagrantly mistreating a high-level coach like D’Antoni. It’s common sense, my man.

Eric Gordon’s contract is expiring, so as the player in question, you can kind of understand your name coming up in negotiations. No matter how you slice it, Gordon is a one-dimensional player (it’s a great dimension though!) who looks attractive to a lot of teams around the league.

Tucker is this team’s heart and hustle, so I REALLY don’t understand the readiness to dump him in a theoretical Butler trade.

Jimmy Butler is a fine player and, with the right cast, would have been a great addition to his hometown Rockets. But as currently constituted, a Butler trade leaves Houston hard-capped, with three ball-dominate smalls and no size in the middle to assist with things like rebounding, paint protection, interior scoring, etc (see: 2019/20 Golden State Warriors).

The game may be changing, but those are still pretty damn important.

So what now for the Rockets?

First, stop insulting the winningest coach in team history and give Mike D’Antoni the extension he deserves. That’s first.

While questions exist on whether D’Antoni’s iso-style ultimately works, the guy’s record in Houston is 173–73. There’s no way you can let that man walk into next season as head coach as a lame-duck.

There’s no way you, as an organization, will been seen favorably by potential assistant coaches of high pedigree, nor will free agents look at you seriously when leadership at the top is so unsettled.

If you don’t believe me, ask Jimmy Butler.

Give Mike D’Antoni a three-year extension and be done with it.

Next, make a decision on Capela (as well as Gordon) and do it quick because any potential agreements with free agents like Kevon Looney, Danny Green, or their own guys like Austin Rivers and Kenneth Faried will depend on what the Rockets choose to do here.

There aren’t any realistic ways to alter this roster without it coming at the expense of a Capela trade. With Capela due to make $14.9 million this coming season, even if the Rockets received no salary back in a deal, they’d still be well over the cap, so a deal for productive, controllable assets would be the target.

Sacramento was reported as a team “in place” to take Capela on in the instance the Rockets landed Jimmy Butler. Butler is now, of course, off the menu, but it’s interesting to wonder what the Rockets could get from the Kings in a theoretical deal. While the Kings did acquire Dewayne Dedmon via free agency today, that wouldn’t necessarily rule out a Capela deal.

TRADE SCENARIO:

HOUSTON receives: C Willie Cauley-Stein, F Marvin Bagley III, G Alec Burks, G Buddy Hield

SACRAMENTO receives: C Clint Capela, G Eric Gordon, 2020 1st round pick

This move is a virtual equal shuffle in terms of salary, with the difference being a touch over $90,000. The Rockets would acquire a MUCH needed infusion of size, youth and promise as well as a sizable expiring deal in Burks ($11 million) that could be flipped to a third team immediately or at a later date.

Because Cauley-Stein is a restricted free agent, this deal would have to be a sign-and-trade.

For Sacramento, they add legitimate size and scoring with Gordon joining De’Aron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovich in the backcourt. As an expiring deal himself, Gordon could also be used as trade bait if Sacramento has other areas they’d like to address though I think his on-court value would keep him in a Kings uniform.

With the mid-level exception, the Rockets could go for third-tier players or buyout candidates such as Andre Iguodala, if he is in fact bought out by Memphis after tonight’s trade from Golden State.

A combination of that above trade and that particular buyout addition would make for an interesting season in Houston, where the cast is reshuffled but ultimately still strong enough to compete in the West.

As NBA free agency continues to roar on into this good night, the quiet Rockets can still make significant noise, but it’ll take the over-active imagination of Daryl Morey to get it done.