Coming into the season without their star guard, the lack of point guard depth was always going to be an issue for the Rockets. That being said, they've still done a solid job at filling in with the “point guard by committee” route. That can only get you so far, though. 

Houston’s path to success got even more rocky after Steven Adams’ ankle injury ended up requiring surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. His rebounding was a huge reason why the Rockets rank first in total rebounds per game and first in offensive rebounds per game. 

Both players had massive roles on this team, so it came as a pretty big shock when GM Rafael Stone decided to not make any moves at the trade deadline. 

Despite that deadline coming and going, there still are options to improve the roster in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, those options are limited due to only having one open roster spot and not many big men available. 

When browsing the buyout market, a decision has to be made on whether the team values a guard or a center more. Regardless, let’s take a look at some possible options at both positions:

It’s tough to say if CP3 has suited up for his last NBA game or not, but the 20 year veteran did just play in all 82 games for San Antonio last season. He could potentially return to Houston for some spot minutes alongside former Suns teammate, Kevin Durant. 

Or he could be emotionally scarred from the Clippers reunion ending the way it did, and have zero interest in trying that again. 

While this doesn’t necessarily help the lack of ball-handling, it does give them another shooter who’s familiar with the organization. Just a thought, as Memphis has no plans of keeping him on the roster. 

After being drafted second overall in the 2017 draft, injuries have really held the oldest Ball brother back. His size and defense make him an ideal fit on any roster, with his point guard skills matching Houston's needs. 

Sadly, he hasn't been a very productive 3&D player, which is why he was just traded and waived. There's reports that Charlotte has interest in reuniting him with his baby brother, LaMelo Ball, but nothing is official yet.

Cam Thomas is a microwave scorer in the NBA, but that’s about it. That’s why he failed to reach a contract extension, then ultimately got waived by Brooklyn before even reaching free agency. 

But that does mean he is available, and there was always a connection between he and KD in Brooklyn. I could see his instant offense being helpful in Houston, should they choose to go that route.

After getting traded from Charlotte to OKC, the Thunder waived the journeyman center. He'll be available to sign after clearing waivers, and his athleticism does make it a bit enticing.

One issue is that he hasn't played since 2025 after getting groin surgery on New Year's Eve. He was set to get re-evaluated in about a week, but now he's a free agent. Due diligence should be taken when considering this option.

The market for potential big men isn’t very, well, it isn’t very big —— the Utah Jazz probably have the best to offer though. There’s no reports of this buyout in the works, but I do believe it makes sense for both sides. 

For Utah, they already have Kessler recovering from injury, plus Filipowski, Lauri, JJJ, and Kevin Love, who can all play center. They don’t need Nurkic if we’re being honest. He’s not helping them tank, so a buyout could save them some money and let him sign where he wants. 

For Houston, his rebounding and passing skills make him an obvious fit behind Sengun as a short term Steven Adams replacement. He’s also played with Durant in Phoenix before. 

This is where the Rockets have to get lucky, as a player has to first get waived or bought out, then has to want to sign in Houston. 

There's other teams in need of a guard too. Boston traded Simons, and Philly traded Jared McCain, both without any replacement yet. 

Thankfully, no state income tax is always an added incentive to lure players to Texas. 

But still, the player pool isn't extremely deep, and guys like Mike Conley and Jevon Carter have already been scooped up. It's time to make a decision as soon as possible.