Have the Houston Rockets ACED This Offseason?

Have the Houston Rockets ACED This Offseason?

I don’t need anything more. You got a 3 and D guy. You got an extra center. You got Kevin Durant. Theoretically, you’re going to be a little bit better of a shooting team come playoff time. I’m good. The Houston Rockets continued a rather busy off season, kicking off the league year with two signings in the last 24 hours. First, they signed Dorian Finny Smith to a 4-year 53 million deal. This was an undrafted guy out of Florida back in the day who’s played for the Dallas Mavericks, who’s played for the Brooklyn Nets, who’s played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the course of his career, he’s shooting 41% from outside. On top of that, this is a player who’s routinely defending some of the better players on the teams that he goes up against. He is, as the kids say, a three and D specialist. Pretty reasonable contract. And think about it like this. Dylan Brooks is no longer a member of the Houston Rockets. He was part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant here to town. Would you rather have Dorian Finny Smith or Dylan Brooks? Especially when you’re paying Dorian Finny Smith less significantly than Dylan Brooks. I’d rather have DFS. I will miss some of the fun that comes along with the Dylan Brooks show, that’s for sure. But Dorian Finny Smith is a better three-point shooter. And defensively, he’s good. I like both of those things. And this Rockets team that has an incredible amount of depth right now added the depth that it lost in moving on from Dylan Brooks as part of the Kevin Durant trade where they also sent Jaylen Green over the Phoenix. The Rockets also signed Clint Capella to a three-year 21.5 million dollar deal. Remember him? He was a part of that Rockets team where essentially he and James Harden just played alioop together. I always felt Capella could have perhaps gotten a little bit more versatile in his game. that never quite happened. But but for what he did, which was be long, be pretty good defensively and not be an absolute bleep show when caught on switches. And in terms of his offense, like he’s just underneath the hoop. He’s ready to get some offensive rebounds. He’s ready to put it back. He’s a pretty solid player to good player for the Rockets. A little bit overpaid at the end. Then, you know, obviously he moves on elsewhere. He signs a threeyear 21.5 million deal. Think about it like this. Who would you rather have as your third big guy behind Stephen Adams who gets hurt a lot? Jock Landale or Clint Capella? Probably taking Clint Capella. So, the Rockets continue to make upgrades and you’d obviously take Kevin Durant over Jaylen Green. And everyone’s loving this off season. They should. I’m going to put a period at the end of this though. I’m not sure they’re done, but I’d like them to be. I’m good. I’m done. I think it’s time to put my feet up. I don’t need anything more. You got a 3 and D guy. You got an extra center. You got Kevin Durant. Theoretically, you’re going to be a little bit better of a shooting team come playoff time. I’m good. I’m willing to walk away. I don’t know that the Rockets necessarily are. A lot of people were putting two and two together with Clink Capella signing what? Three centers. What’s going on here? as part of some sort of signing trade that could potentially be in the works. But when you’re taking a look at what the Milwaukee Bucks have just done today where they actually waved Damen Lillard fresh off the Achilles injury and they also ballsy signed Miles Turner away from the Indiana Pacers. These are the moves that you make if you’re trying to keep Giannis Antakmpo in town. And I think that’s really the only move that theoretically could happen that the Rockets would have thought about doing a big kind of move as far as a next step for where this organization is. So I think they’re going to stand pack going forward and I hope they stand pack going forward. I think they upgraded enough. We will see if the young players develop because that’s now the big question. What are you going to get out of ammon Thompson this coming season? What are you going to get out of Alper and Shenon this coming season? I saw some person online acting like over a month Almond Thompson has already improved his jump shot in his handle. Calm the f down. Okay, some of you Rockets fans are embarrassing yourselves a little bit, especially with the hard pining that you were doing. Thank god that’s not happening. But it’s about Thompson developing. It’s about Alen Shenon getting stronger, getting in better shape. It’s about Reed Shepard developing. That’s it. The only move I probably want to see going forward is trading Cam Whitmore for something because I do not think you have any place to play him at this moment in time. And I think it’s just going to be a bad sport behind the scenes. So that’s how I’m feeling. Sean Mapes, you’re the basketball expert of the Paul Galon show.
Thank you.
How do you feel?
That’s Wow.
Well, you are.
I mean, I’m I I would not I wouldn’t debate that.
Um or title, I guess.
Yeah, the title. You got a title. Take the title.
Uh yeah. No, I I agree with you that um they got better. They did get I to me it’s a lot like what Deo Ryan has done to the Texans defense where it is, hey, guess what? But we’re going to get some defensive ends. And guess what? More defensive ends. And And we’re going to get even more defensive ends. Uh that’s kind of what the Rockets are doing with because now they’re going to have Dorian Finny Smith.
Yep.
Jabari Smith.
Yep.
Try Een.
Yep.
Kevin Durant. Amin Thompson. That’s your wing rotational.
And Jan Tate, who probably won’t play. Uh
right. I mean, nice backup to have for
Jan Tate is a guy who could play on a lot of teams, just won’t play. Um Jeff Green’s also on this team. Y um
it’s a team that’s all wings. Oops. All wings. Uh nice.
The the only question I have is just the creation outside of Kevin Durant, just who’s going to create offense. But this is where having this mix of ready to win now guys and young players kind of happens where maybe it is Am Thompson takes a step. Maybe it is Reed Shepard’s ready to be the backup point guard. Maybe it’s Shenun has another level in him. So I I think that I understand the the strategy that they taken. I think they signed two pretty good deals. Um the fourth year on Dorian Finny Smith. Not wouldn’t say I’m crazy in love with that, but you know, it’s free agency. You’re going to have to do stuff like that. Um, but yeah, I I think that you bring up a good point that they found their Dylan Brooks replacement in Dorian Finny Smith, who I think in the wash about the same. You know, I think it all kind of evens out again.
Less fun
other play. Yeah, other teams won’t walk in ready to rip his head off. Um,
which might be good.
Yeah. Is that is that a positive or negative? Who knows? Uh, Jock Landale out. More than likely, that’s just kind of like paperwork at this point.
Pora Fosters’s out. Yeah, this poor Fosters out for my guy. Uh Clint Capella back in at the same money actually. I think like a year a million dollar less per year. Um and instead of Jaylen Green, you have Kevin Durant now. So I I think that they definitely improved. They got uh a little bit cheaper along the along the edges. Obviously Durant’s going to be a lot of money, but uh yeah, I I can’t see how this isn’t uh isn’t a win.
The next move is probably a Durant extension. Durant extension and Whitmore trade,
right? That’s next
gone. I get it through your head.
They leak it every day that they’re looking to trade him,
right? And and it makes sense. He might be good elsewhere, but it’s not happening here. Modoka don’t like each other.
To me, yeah. To me, it’s more of it’s not a it’s not really a talent thing with Cam Whitmore. It’s more of just like the uh acceptance of the role that he’s going to have to play it. And listen, I I I He’s not the first 21-year-old to walk into the league being like, I am going to rip this thing to shred. I am I am a future allstar and you get buried on a team that has a whole bunch of players that are better than you on it. So, I I think it’s just an attitude thing. If you can just like we’re saying that, you know, the Dylan Brooks replacement is Finny Smith, the uh Landell replacement is Capella. If you could find a comparable uh replacement for Cam Whitmore in the rotation, maybe it is just like Jan Tayen and Aaron Holiday are gonna play a little bit more, take those minutes away. But if you could find like a six-man type, a little bit of Reed Shepard insurance of someone who in case Reed isn’t ready or at least not ready every night to run your offense when Van Vleet’s off the court, maybe you get someone else like that. But they like Holiday, so maybe that’s just Aaron Holiday. So, I I I think that’s the next move, and I’m interested in what uh they do there. But, like you said, I think they’re done with the big stuff. I think it’s all
these minor,
you know, dotting eyes, crossing tees.
I’m willing to walk away at this point. We’ll see what the Durant deal is. He’s eligible for 122 million over two years. Tim McMahon said it’s probably going to be less, looking like $112 million. And by the way, just given Rafel Stone’s history signing these contracts, I also think it’s going to be less cuz I don’t know how this guy gets gets guys to say yes to the deal. He deserves a lot of credit on this. I mean, he he follows in the footsteps of Daryl my who he was down the hall from and I thought that he was unqualified when he first came in, but he does have a legal background and I I mean, whatever he is doing in these deals
to the woodshed on these contracts.
It’s just like Daryl my deals that he would make where you’re like, “Wait a second. What?”
Yeah, you got James Harden for that. To me, yes, Daryl my was better at trades and Stone is no slouch at that one. But I think to me his like, oh my god, this guy might be the best GM in the league at this specific thing. Is getting deals done where it’s like
we all we all knew that Framan was going to take a little bit of a dip off his $40 million a year. We thought like 30s, like low 30s. He got him for 25 for two years. Like Jabari Smith 24 a year for five years.
Jaylen Green’s deal.
Jaylen Green. Yeah. I mean, most teams get, you know, Green and Shingoon, they their hits in the draft, relative hits in the draft. That equals automatic max extension on your first contract. He didn’t do that. So, yeah. To me, it’s another another situation where you got to tip your hat. Tip hat.
Are you doing that right now?
Tip my hat. tip that cap to Rafel Stone because he’s done a great job along with EMoka.
Uh we will see how this all works together. I saw uh Kelly Eco of The Athletic put together a video essay about how Durant will fit. Okay. Uh never heard of video essay before. Little little arrogant sounding, but hey. Uh I I’m going to watch that a little bit later.
I think that’s more of a douchi. Uh Tom Verduchi is a big video essay.
I I I think Listen, Kelly, graduate of ESPN. We we we are fans of Kelly Eco, but but Kelly Eco is
That’s a big Jay move.
He’s definitely going Big Jay.
Video essay is a big J move.
Yeah, that’s uh Tom Raldi does the video essay.
Yes.
Like he’s he’s following in those footsteps. Footsteps. I don’t think he’s ever gotten the comparison of Verduchi and just he just did. So, how about that?

The Houston Rockets have been busy — and we’re breaking down every angle. In the last 24 hours alone, they’ve signed Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, signaling a major shift in the roster. That means one thing: Dillon Brooks is out. But is Dorian a better fit for Ime Udoka’s system?

We debate:
👀 Would you rather have Dorian Finney-Smith or Dillon Brooks?
📈 Is this offseason officially a success for the Rockets — or is there more to come?
🤔 What kind of jump do we need from Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and the rest of the young core?
📉 Are these aggressive contracts smart long-term moves?
🔥 Could a Kevin Durant extension or Cam Whitmore trade be next?

Tap in for the full breakdown and let us know what you’d grade this offseason so far.

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