GM Daryl Morey: Rockets content with current roster, but will look to improve
HOUSTON -- After their team pushed the defending champion Golden State Warriors to a Game 7 in Houston, the chief decision-makers of the Houston Rockets were left with one question: How do they improve a 65-win team that was just one victory away from the NBA Finals?
"Win 70 and win the title. We could do that," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said Wednesday.
Added general manager Daryl Morey: "My job is to try and always improve. I'll be kicking every rock, like we always do. But coach and I were talking, if we have basically this same group back, we feel very good about it as well."
Rockets owner Tilman Fertita faces a hefty luxury tax bill if the Rockets do opt to retain all their free agents. Assuming star point guard Chris Paul re-signs to a max contract, the market drives up the price on restricted free agent Clint Capela, and even Trevor Ariza signs a team-friendly deal, Houston could be seeing a tax bill of more than $25 million.
Asked about that price tag Wednesday, Morey said: "We have an expensive team, and Tilman for sure has signed up for that."
Added D'Antoni: "Be sure to go out and eat a lot at Landry's," a reference to the popular restaurant chain owned by Fertita.
The Rockets' obsession with beating the Warriors holds true. On several occasions, Morey has said he has built his team with Golden State in mind. The hunger has grown exponentially after the Game 7 defeat in the Western Conference finals. But the team's brass believes the strides that were made this season both on and off the floor, giving the Rockets a huge advantage moving into another important offseason.
"I think given the great organization we have, and Tilman has done amazing things since he's been here with upgrades," Morey said. "With our winning and the stories around the league about our locker room, our players and our coaches, we are going to have our pick of plenty of free agents out there. Whether they are the high-end ones, or they are the Luc Mbah a Moutes or Gerald Greens from this year, that can come in and be real key competitors. We do feel we are very well-positioned to win the free-agency battle to get us over the last hump."
There are several high-end free agents this offseason, but only one will move the needle like no other: LeBron James. A signing with good friend Paul in Houston would require some major cap gymnastics by Morey, and certainly a roster shuffle not often seen by a team a win away from the Finals. Some of the key players from this season's run likely would not be around if Houston did sign James.
"My job is to look at everything, and we'll explore that," Morey said. "We've got our key people in coach D'Antoni, Tilman, James [Harden] and Chris. That group will have to be united on going after certain guys."
Harden already has started setting goals for next season, and according to several team sources, he has spent the last day-and-a-half with Paul, discussing plans to work out in the offseason and ideas for 2018-19.
The team's belief in Harden is as strong as ever, even after a disappointing conference finals by his standards, averaging less than his regular-season totals in scoring, rebounds and assists.
"Every year we talk about how James adds something to his game and his leadership, and I fully expect that again." Morey said. "He made the step-back 3 an efficient shot. I mean no one has done that. That is long hours in the gym in Houston, L.A., Arizona, in the Bahamas with us last offseason. He's such a student of the game; he's going to add something else to his game once again."
As for the hamstring injury to Paul, which forced him to miss Games 6 and 7 of his first Western Conference finals, it was yet another cruel setback for a future Hall of Famer who has dealt with freak injuries in the playoffs several times before.
It's clearly weighing on him, his coach said.
"He's been there before," D'Antoni said. "Yeah, he took it the hardest. Distraught I'd say. But he will be back and ready to go."
The pain of being so close to their goal of a championship is evident among everyone in the Rockets organization. But as the always optimistic D'Antoni indicated, another run is just around the corner.
"The good thing about playing this deep into the playoffs is that the season isn't very far away," he said. "I know it's early, but I'm already really excited about what we can do next season."
