Plans could not keep up with the changes, and the rocket had an unexpected situation in September for the second year in a row.
Last September, Porter Jr. was arrested by the police on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend. Although Rockets general manager Stone likes Porter Jr. very much, he can only choose to abandon him in such a situation.
Head coach Udoka said in an interview at the time that his plan was to put Porter Jr. and Jalen Green in the starting line-up, but that changed. In the end, the Rockets posted the draft pick backwards and sent Porter Jr. to the Thunder.
In September, Griffin Jr. decided to leave Houston after he suffered psychological problems and could no longer play.
Houston reporter Ben Dubose revealed that such a situation was not expected by Rockets management. Griffin Jr. has been normal since joining the Rockets, trying to fit in, communicate with his teammates, and play in the summer league. After playing in the summer league, Griffin Jr. also trained spontaneously with his teammates, and he didn't see anything wrong. As we entered September, Griffin Jr. also had less communication with his teammates, after which he suddenly said that he was considering retiring.
Despite the surprise, the Rockets decided to respect the player's personal decision. In the end, the two sides reached a buyout, and the Rockets paid $250,000.
The Rockets previously announced that they would hold a training camp from October 2 to 6, and this time only 19 people attended.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, each team can have 21 players in the camp, and the Rockets have two spots free.
The Rockets officially announced the training camp roster: Samuels, Holiday , Amen, Landale, Dent, Jalen Green, Van Jordan, Whitmore, Tate, Dillon, Smith Jr., Adams, Shepard, Ethan, Williams, Sengun, Jeff Green, Nate Hinton and McVeigh.
New signing Mike McVeigh has chosen the shirt number, which has sparked a lot of buzz as he has decided to wear the number 58 for the new season, which no player has worn before. When it comes to 58, many fans will think of Paul. Someone joked: Is McVeigh trying to pay tribute to Paul? It is worth mentioning that the Rockets will play back-to-back games against Paul's Spurs on October 27 and 29.
McVeigh, who signed a two-way contract with the Rockets, wants to fight for a rotation spot, which is not easy, and he needs to adapt to the intensity of the NBA game first. McVeigh can talk to Tate, both have similar experiences, both were undrafted and both played in the Australian league.
The Rockets have a pool of training camp spots to spare, but they don't plan to sign for the time being, as the two veterans, House and Covington, are out of the loop.
Both House and Covington have played alongside Harden and started with the Rockets. Later, the rocket disintegrated and entered the rebuilding period, and they all left.
House has since played for the Knicks, Jazz and 76ers. He was traded to the Pistons and then cut employees. While there are reports that several NBA teams are interested in House, he is currently out of work.
Covington has since played for the Trail Blazers, Clippers and 76ers, and he's now a free agent and hasn't found a job.
After Griffin Jr. left, some United States media suggested that the Rockets consider old acquaintances House and Covington, but Stone has no plans to strengthen the staff at this time. One thing to say, the Rockets forward line is actually not short of people, and both Tate and Jeff Green may fall out of the rotation.
NBA salary expert Keith Smith said Griffin Jr.'s $250,000 buyout fee counts into the salary cap, and the Rockets are currently about $10.5 million below the luxury tax line, and there is room to maneuver.