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2. Rockets give VanVleet the max
The Houston Rockets wanted a point guard. There were rumors dating back to Christmas about James Harden returning to Space City, but the franchise pivoted to Fred VanVleet after landing Ime Udoka. The head coach wanted a leader on both ends of the floor, and the Rockets valued FVV’s championship experience.
The 6’1 point guard did not come cheap. The Rockets gave him a three-year deal worth $130 million, which makes him the fifth-highest-paid PG in the NBA next season. It is the largest contract in league history for an undrafted player. Houston had to overpay to get their top target, and they did just that.
Getting VanVleet and Brooks puts more talent on the Rockets' roster, but they still have some massive holes. They were 28th in field goal percentage last and added two players that are under 42 percent for their career on high volume. Brooks’ jumper comes and goes, and is now on a team that made the second-fewest 3-pointers per game last season.
Both are plus defenders, but the Rockets did not add a rim-protector to improve a historically bad defense that finished 29th in defensive rating last season.
Credit to the Houston Rockets for making bold moves, but they could backfire without significant improvements from their young talent.