The Houston Rockets didn’t accomplish all of their goals entering 2023 free agency. They did land two of their three marquee veteran targets in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, but the third — Milwaukee big man Brook Lopez — clearly slipped away late.
When that happened, the Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone could have still used that salary slot by simply turning to another established veteran at center. But instead, with Houston still in something of a rebuilding phase, the team appears to have pivoted to a backup plan involving contract optionality.
Sure, Jock Landale showed flashes with the Phoenix Suns last season, and Jeff Green was a rotation player for a Denver squad that just won the 2023 NBA championship. Depending on the matchup, they could mix and match those two in minutes fairly similar to what Lopez would have received as a complement to Alperen Sengun.
But judging by their contracts, their largest value could be as salary matching tools in the future. Landale technically signed for four seasons and Green for two, but neither is owed any guaranteed money after the first season. That means Houston could trade them leading up to the 2024 trade deadline next February or early in the 2024 offseason, and the team acquiring them would be on the hook for minimal-to-no salary — should they simply prefer cap space.
Unlike a normal trade exception, which can’t be aggregated with players to help the team bring in a larger salary, Landale and/or Green (who will each make close to $8 million, annually) could be combined in future trades with a player on a short-term contract — such as Kevin Porter Jr. or Jae’Sean Tate. That could allow the Rockets to meet the league’s salary matching rules for trades involving teams who are above the annual salary cap.
Even so, it’s obviously speculative. For the 2023-24 season, the Rockets clearly preferred to add Lopez and improve their short-term roster. That plan failed. But in the long run, the path they chose to pivot to as a backup plan could present more options down the line.
Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways and implications.