With the revelation of plans to bring in veterans, the Rockets' recruitment goals have gradually become clear, and the roster for the new season has emerged.
This summer, the Rockets have $65 million in salary space and have young players such as Green, Eason, Smith and Shenjing, which are the core players of the future Rockets. But the Rockets have long lacked a good playmaker to sort out the team's offense. Therefore, the Rockets' first important signing is expected to sign Harden for $180 million in 4 years, and it is expected to sign Lopez Big Lipez to strengthen the center for $30 million in 3 years; the remaining space will consider old Rockets players such as Beverley and Gordon.
New season starting lineup: Harden Green Ethan Smith Shenjing, substitutes Porter Jr., Beverley/Gordon, Da Lo, Martin Jr., Christopher and other powerful players, such a lineup is worth looking forward to.
With so many free-market veterans this summer, why is Harden the best fit for the Rockets?
First, Harden's peak began with the Rockets. In more than 8 seasons with the Rockets, Harden has won many honors, including 1 regular season MVP, 6 All-Star team selections, 6 All-Star team selections, 4 scoring champions, 3 assists kings, the NBA's first 60+ triple-double (against the Magic on January 31, 2018, with 60 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 steals), multiple 50+, 40+ triple-doubles, etc., the Rockets are of great significance to Harden.
Second, although his peak has passed, Harden is still the top playmaker in the league, and Harden still turned in 21 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 boards in the regular season last season and 20.3 points, 8.3 assists and 6.2 boards in the playoffs. With the combination of data and experience, Harden is perfectly capable of bringing out new people for the Rockets.
Finally, Harden has a high status among Rockets fans and is accorded the highest respect in Houston. Harden has not been happy with both the Nets and the 76ers over the years, and he himself hopes to enjoy basketball more at the end of his career than he is behind the scenes. Harden and Fertitta have always had a close relationship, and Fertita has repeatedly said that the Rockets welcome Harden at all times.
This is perfectly in line with new coach Uduka's team-building thinking, and he is good at developing new talents and hopes to develop the Rockets into a strong contender for the championship in three years' time. Let's look forward to the launch of the new season of the Rockets.