Offseason blues: What's next for the Houston Rockets?
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With the end of the NBA season and the Larry O'Brien trophy back in Oakland, the question remains for the Rockets: What is it going to take to bring a championship back to Houston?
NBA DRAFT
With the 43rd pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Rockets selected Germany forward Isaiah Hartenstein. In a scouting report from ESPN, Hartenstein's positives include his athleticism, aggressive scoring and he can score the ball in the paint, from the perimeter and off the bounce.
According to an ESPN Analytics projection, he has a 13.07 percent of becoming an NBA starter.
FREE AGENCY
With the Rockets draft pick not expected to make any immediate impact, the team will look at several marquee players expected to hit the market. The Rockets are rumored to target Atlanta's Paul Millsap, Toronto's Kyle Lowry, and the Los Angeles Clippers duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, according to reports.
Paul Millsap: Will Paul Millsap leave the Atlanta Hawks? As reported by ESPN's Marc Stein, the Rockets are expected to target the former all-star.
Kyle Lowry: Lowry would bring his ball handling skills to the Rockets, and able to take the pressure off James Harden. Last season, Lowry averaged nearly 22 points per game for the Toronto Raptors. With an addition of Lowry, the Rockets would also add another weapon on defense.
Chris Paul: In his 11th season in the NBA, Chris Paul is an elite point guard. Last season, Paul averaged nearly 18 points per game. With a Harden/Paul tandem, the Rockets would create an unstoppable backcourt.
Blake Griffin: He is also expected to opt out of his contact and become an unrestricted free agent. Griffin, a power forward for the Clippers, would give the Rockets a 1-2 punch with Harden and Griffin running the pick-and-roll game.
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