The Houston Rockets went all in on playing small-ball last season. They traded their franchise center in Clint Cappela and refused to play a true center the remainder of the season.
This ultimately backfired, as they weren’t able to get past the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs as they were severely undersized. After making a major shakeup in the roster and flipping Russell Westbrook for John Wall, Houston will look to convince James Harden that he should want to stay with the franchise.
Rockets Roster Additions
| Player | Transaction |
| Kenyon Martin Jr. | Draft (52nd) |
| Sterling Brown | Free Agency (MIL) |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Free Agency (LAL) |
| Mason Jones | Free Agency (UDFA) |
| Jae’Sean Tate | Free Agency (INTL) |
| Christian Wood | Free Agency (DET) |
| Kenny Wooten | Free Agency (NYK) |
| Gerald Green | Free Agency (HOU) |
| John Wall | Trade (WAS) |
Biggest Acquisitions
- John Wall: Coming off of a brutal achilles injury, we still aren’t sure what kind of player Wall will be this season. He hasn’t touched an NBA floor since 2018. Prior to his injury, he was an NBA All-Star level point guard.
- Christian Wood: One of the more mysterious free agents in this class, Wood has been excellent in small samples througout the course of his career. Now that he got the first big payday of his career in Houston, we will see if their investment pays off. Although he has been in the NBA since 2015, Wood has only played real NBA minutes last season.
Rockets Roster Subtractions
| Player | Transaction |
| Jeff Green | Free Agency (BKN) |
| Michael Frazier | Free Agency |
| Tyson Chandler | Free Agency |
| DeMarre Carroll | Free Agency |
| William Howard | Free Agency |
| Luc Mbah a Moute | Free Agency |
| Thabo Sefolosha | Free Agency |
| Russell Westbrook | Trade (WAS) |
| Austin Rivers | Trade (NYK) |
| Robert Covington | Trade (POR) |
Biggest Losses
- Russell Westbrook: Even with as much criticism Russell Westbrook gets, he is still one of the best point guards in the NBA today. Last season 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. This much production won’t be easy to replace, but John Wall will look to fill the void.
- Robert Covington: Outside of the superstar duo of Westbrook and Harden last season, Covington was perhaps the most consistent player. He was also arguably Houston’s best defender during his time with the team. The Rockets didn’t necessarily acquire anyone that plays a similar role, the roster will look very different in the upcoming season anyways.
