Redundant backcourt additions and missed opportunities for superstar trades raise serious questions about Houston's front-office strategy as a chaotic NBA offseason leaves the Rockets' roster in flux.
The 2026 NBA Draft concluded, team and player options have been decided, and free agency has officially opened. The offseason is in full swing, but I’m starting to question the Houston Rockets’ choices.
While the draft night trade was surprising, as covered on Roundtable, I still do understand and respect the decisiveness that the front office showed with that pick. It made sense to invest in a small guard with Aaron Holiday becoming a free agent and Fred VanVleet returning from injury.
The signing of Marcus Smart is a bit confusing now though. While he’s not a traditional point guard, he still is only 6’3” despite his 220 pound frame. There just seems to be a bit of overlap in the backcourt.
Depth is important, but it’s not as valuable when it’s all in the same position. I don’t think Smart is a bad player by any means, but I do think the funds could’ve been used more effectively on another player, or multiple guys.
There’s been players moving teams everyday, but it seems like the Rockets had tunnel vision and only went after their one guy. Again, respectable in some way, but I don’t quite understand this one as much.
With more guard depth, it makes me question whether Fred VanVleet will be in a Rockets uniform, as I discussed on Roundtable. If there’s a chance that he’s not healthy, then why not explore trading him?
Would his contract along with Dorian Finney-Smith’s not be better than what the Memphis Grizzlies got for Ja Morant? At least comparable at the bare minimum.
They only got Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Grant has more years and more money annually, and Kris Murray is a relatively unproven player. It wasn’t a great return from the Trailblazers.
Giannis got traded to the Miami Heat for a package that seemed like it could easily be bested by Houston, as covered on Roundtable.
Isaiah Joe is a really solid and inexpensive role player who was only traded for second round picks. Jose Alvarado just re-signed with his hometown Knicks after the Rockets missed out on him at the trade deadline, covered here on Roundtable.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rocked the NBA world when they sent Julius Randle out and brought LaMelo Ball in.
The Hornets then moved on from Miles Bridges, who would’ve likely been the main part of a potential Jabari Smith Jr. trade discussed here on Roundtable.
Now Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown are no longer available so Houston’s options are running thin. They picked up a proven, but older and potentially injured shooter, as covered on Roundtable, but Bogdanovic is still another guard.
Teams around the league have been making moves left and right, and it feels like Houston is being left in the dust. Even if they’re only planning to improve around the edges, I still think there were more important roles to fill.
