LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 21: Chris Paul #3 and James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets stand for the national anthem before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 21, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
After once again failing to overthrow the Warriors in the West, it appears the Rockets are ready to blow everything up.
Houston has a problem, and it’s going to try and auction its way out of it.
For the second straight year, and fourth out of the last five years, the Rockets were ousted from the playoffs by the Warriors. It’s been a hill they’ve died on, not being able to concur the mightiness of a dynasty.
It’s one of the reasons Houston tried going all in by trading for Chris Paul a few years ago and committing a max contract to Clint Capela so he wouldn’t be lost in free agency. It’s also perhaps the main reason the team is in dire straits now.
All of that money spent and no results to show for it.
According to Woj (because, who else?), the Rockets are very open to trading virtually everyone on the roster. A move that seems surprising when you hear it but makes sense when you actually think about it.
There’s no guarantee that anything will actually happen. The most likely trade candidate is Clint Capella, but there are rumblings that Chris Paul could be moved in the “right deal”.
There is some reason to believe that at least a partial blowup could occur. Houston has over $110 million committed to its core, one that is both aging and not good enough to beat Golden State in the playoffs. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Rockets would want to dump some of that salary to either add improvements this offseason or in the summers to come.
Either way, this is a form of Daryl Morrey waving the white flag. The Western Conference is going to look a lot different if the Warriors break up this summer, and everyone in Houston is likely trying to do what it takes to ensure a sixth year isn’t consumed by someone bigger than them.