Defensive grit meets elite perimeter shooting as Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović head to Houston, bolstering a roster poised for a competitive surge in the Western Conference.
The Houston Rockets have signed Marcus Smart to a two-year, $13 million deal and Bogdan Bogdanović to a one-year, $3.88 million deal.
First up, Marcus Smart reunites with his former head coach, Ime Udoka, who he played for when he won Defensive Player of the Year during the 2021-22 season. He brings a veteran defensive presence and the ability to elevate in high-stakes playoff situations. Smart will very much help the culture of this team and instill a hustle mentality that Houston just seemed to lack toward the end of the year. Definitely a plus here.
Another plus is signing Bogdan Bogdanović, who is a career 38 percent three-point shooter, and his ability to hit timely threes in the postseason could win Houston some games and help the bench in a major way. He should be able to mentor Reed Sheppard as well. This deal makes sense because the Rockets were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the postseason last year, so Bogdan’s presence should help instantly. At $3.88 million, it’s about as low-risk, high-reward as you can get.
Houston is also likely to extend a qualifying offer to Tari Eason, making him a restricted free agent. This offer should be enough to keep him around, but there is always the possibility another team could pay more to acquire him. Only time will tell, but Eason is a great young piece for Houston and should continue to improve next year if he’s back.
Last week, we heard Amen Thompson is reportedly the only “near untouchable” player and that Houston is listening to offers for KD and Sengun. Obviously, nothing has transpired yet, but don’t doubt that the craziest offseason in NBA history could get even crazier in the coming days.
If Houston stays pat and doesn’t acquire another star, however, their roster is still solid, and management has brought in enough reinforcements to at least compete in the West again. This team will still go as far as KD and Sengun take them.
