The rest of the NBA teams are vying for playoff and playoff spots, while the Rockets are competing with the Spurs, Pistons, and Hornets for the top spot, and after losing 115-137 to the Knicks, the Rockets suffered six straight losses. It makes Rockets management as happy as it makes the playoffs, because the team locks in the bottom three, so the Rockets have the highest probability of winning the top pick, and even the top 4 picks. After scoring back-to-back Jaylen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets are aiming to get the top pick and then draft the talented Venbanyama.
Since Harden's departure, the Rockets have been rebuilding, Jaylen Green and Smith are very good, but Ventanyama is the super newcomer that makes teams covet, he may become the next epoch-making inside, Popovich is such a proud manager, in order to compete for Venbanyama also has to swing, the Spurs have been competing with the Rockets for the bottom 1 in the West, no one wants to win. In fact, if the Spurs take the game seriously, they may not finish in the top 6, but they can also compete for a play-off spot.
According to statistics, the probability of the Rockets getting the top pick is 14%, the top pick is 13.42%, the probability of winning the prospect pick is 12.75%, and the probability of winning the No. 4 pick is 11.97. The probability of the Rockets getting the No. 5 pick is 27.84%, and the probability of getting the No. 6 pick is 20.02%. Among them, the Rockets' chances of winning 1-4 draft picks are the highest, and they are also the best in the swing, the purpose has been achieved, and then it depends on the luck of the offseason draw, for the Rockets, unless they win the top pick, it is considered a failure.
The outside world is also imagining the Rockets' roster next season, and if it works properly, the Rockets can sign Harden and Jaylen Brown at the same time, so that the Rockets can take off directly and even become a championship contender. Harden has a player option in the offseason, and he will most likely jump out of his contract to seek a super top salary, and get $200 million in five years is not much problem.
Moreover, Harden has changed agents in order to fight for the last big contract of his career, the 76ers have limited salary space, it is certainly difficult to meet Harden, so once the 76ers are out early in the playoffs, Harden will basically leave Philadelphia, and the only team in the league that can give Harden an annual salary of 40 million may only be the Rockets. Moreover, Harden is the hero of the Rockets, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals twice at that time, and he has become one of the greatest stars in Rockets history.
Jaylen Brown signed a four-year, $106 million contract with the Green Army that expires in 2024, and after entering the offseason, Jaylen Brown may also choose to become a free agent, so that he can renew his contract or join other teams. The Greens are the favorites for the 22-23 season, and Jaylen Green has become one of the best forwards in the league, but Brown doesn't seem happy playing in Boston and is often mired in trade rumors, and if he and Tatum fail to win the championship, Brown should consider switching teams.
The Rockets have already cleared out the veterans in the team, almost all of them are rookie contracts, the Rockets can directly sign Harden and Jaylen Brown, and, if they can choose Chinese Banyama, the Rockets can form a contract lineup of Harden + Brown + Jaylen Green + Jabari Smith Jr. + Venbanyama , and there are talented young players such as Porter Jr., Shenjing and Tate on the bench. So, for the Rockets, the operation in the summer of 2023 is important, and it will be interesting to see if it can rise completely.