Why the Rockets’ Operational Strategy Could Be a Mistake

The Houston Rockets are going to be back next season, as far as personnel and roster construction go. Almost all of last season’s players are expected to return, with the exception of Reggie Bullock, who wasn’t exactly a key player for the franchise last season.

In many ways, this approach makes perfect sense, as the team went a respectable 41-41 (a 19-win improvement over last season) despite myriad injuries to Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason and Alperen Sengun. One can only imagine how much better the team could have done with a healthy roster.

Sure, the Rockets would love to have a superstar talent on their roster, but so would everyone else. That’s the game.

The Rockets reportedly have a list of trade targets (Zion Williamson, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell) but none of them are available at the moment, so the franchise has chosen to take a patient approach and wait for them to become attainable.

But will it work in the end?

The Rockets will have a plethora of draft picks to offer, but it would be fairly easy for another team to outbid them.

Especially if they offer a star level player.

The Rockets are widely expected to retain their core of young players, and rightly so. If they have to part ways with one (or more) of their key young players, it could make the team’s situation worse.

And the longer they wait to go after their star player, the more likely he is to get a contract extension, making them even more unavailable.

(Hello, Donovan Mitchell).

It will certainly be worth keeping an eye on how things develop, as their quest for a star will not stop anytime soon. The only question is whether it will be too late.

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