Thought to be the best free agent on the market this offseason, Harden surprised the league when he opted into his $35.6 million player option instead.Ī month earlier, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said there was a chance Harden could land a four-year, $200 million contract as an unrestricted free agent. Paying him $20-plus million a year into his 30s doesn't make sense for a Rockets team that needs to create shot opportunities for its younger group instead. Getting Brooks on a one- or two-year deal at a mid-level exception-type salary would have been understandable. Every shot he takes away from players like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and others will only hinder the progress of what could be one of the best young cores in the NBA. There's no team option or partial guarantee in these four years to get Houston out of Brooks' contract earlier, either. The Rockets already ranked last as a team in three-point efficiency (32.7 percent) and 28th in overall field-goal percentage (45.7 percent) this past season. Going from a championship-hopeful Memphis Grizzlies team to a young Houston Rockets squad coming off a 22-win season likely won't scale back Brooks' shot selection, either. Of the 74 NBA players who attempted at least 13 shots or more per game last season, Brooks' true shooting mark of 49.4 percent ranked dead last. The primary problem with Brooks is that he's a defensive specialist who thinks he's an offensive specialist. On the other hand, giving Brooks $80-plus million was the worst contract handed out in free agency, especially when the final number turned out to be $86 million over four years. It was an overpay, but he'll make the rest of the young Rockets better. While the Fred VanVleet contract was a little wild (three years, $128.5 million with a third-year team option), Houston needed a point guard, veteran leader and culture setter. However, the Rockets made some real questionable signings with their $60-plus million of salary-cap space. The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement mandates that teams must spend at least 90 percent of the salary cap before the regular season begins. Sometimes, like with the 2023 Houston Rockets, it can cause you to wildly overspend on players, using the money just because you have it. Most of the time, cap space is a good thing.
0 kommentar(er)
