Led by general manager Rafael Stone and armed with a league-leading figure of more than $60 million in financial room beneath the NBA’s 2023-24 salary cap, the Houston Rockets are expected to be very aggressive on the market once 2023 free agency negotiations can officially start at 5:00 p.m. Central on Friday afternoon.
That aggressive strategy involves in-person meetings in Los Angeles, widely viewed as the league’s unofficial capital, to chat with various free agent targets and their respective agents.
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On Friday, according to various media reports, Houston’s initial list of meetings is believed to include Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, Milwaukee big man Brook Lopez, and Memphis wing Dillon Brooks. All three are known for bringing high levels of defense and toughness at their respective positions, and VanVleet and Lopez are highly regarded for their shooting abilities, as well.
“Because of their spending power, the Rockets are confident in landing the targets they desire,” The Athletic’s Kelly Iko writes.
With the start of 2023 free agency only hours away, here’s the latest intel on what the Rockets will be doing in Los Angeles.
The current plan entering NBA free agency Friday at 6 PM ET is for Fred VanVleet to hold in-person meetings in Los Angeles with officials from the Rockets and Raptors, according to a source familiar with the schedule.
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Ahead of the beginning of free agency, Houston’s brass traveled to Los Angeles to set up camp and prepare for a number of meetings that will take place over the next few days. At the outset, they will meet with with wing Dillon Brooks and center Brook Lopez, league sources say.
The Rockets… also have strong interest in Bruce Brown, who is said to have a good relationship with Udoka. In Brown’s case, Houston would be prepared to go over the mid-level exception to land his services, according to sources briefed on the matter.
Free agent Bruce Brown is expected to meet with the Knicks, Rockets, Pacers and Mavericks at the start of free agency, per SNY sources.
Jordan Clarkson, who reportedly picked up his option for next season, is also of interest.
The Rockets will prioritize shorter term contracts and are willing to offer more money up front for players they are strongly interested in, league sources say. Non-negotiable areas of need that have been identified are shooting and defense/rim protection.
They’ve indicated to agents this offseason that they have no intention of offering contracts that extend longer than two seasons.
Finding an established point guard and shoring up playmaking deficiencies has long been Houston’s most important task but there is an important caveat. Similar to the Rockets’ draft prep where they discussed potential scenarios in which certain players would be off the board, such is the same in free agency.
There have been some discussions where top point guards opt for places outside of Houston. In that scenario, league sources say, one idea presented was to aggressively pursue a player like [Bruce] Brown — a wing defender with secondary ball handling ability — and afford more on-ball reps to [Amen] Thompson and [Jalen] Green to aid their development.
Trade talks surrounding fourth-year forward Kenyon Martin Jr. have increased in number in recent days with the expectation that a trade this offseason is increasingly likely, league sources say.
To be clear, Martin has not requested a trade since this time last season, but with Houston still seeking avenues to improve their financial flexibility heading into July, Martin’s combination of age, upside and salary makes him an attractive candidate on the market.
James Harden had an interest in a reunion with the Rockets — who are flushed with $64 million in salary cap space — but their guard focus has increasingly been on pursuing Toronto Raptors free agent Fred VanVleet, sources said. Harden is hopeful to find his way to a contending team in a trade scenario, sources said.
What once thrived in the realm of serious potential to lift the Rockets franchise back into relevance is no more as the door between James Harden and the Rockets has been firmly slammed shut for good.
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