Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Houston Rockets are coming off a season in which James Harden played like an MVP and people thought they were legitimate title contenders, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.
That has been a running theme for the Rockets over the last several years, as Houston has been knocked out of the postseason by Golden State four times in the last five years.
This year was especially deflating, as Kevin Durant left in the third quarter of Game 5 of their second-round series with a calf injury and then proceeded to miss Game 6.
Instead of seizing the opportunity, the Rockets lost both games and lost the series, with numerous reports of tension surfacing after their season ended.
Now, Houston enters a summer full of questions, and it might even trade some of its top players. Here are three keys to a perfect offseason for the Rockets.
3. Re-sign Danuel House Jr.
Danuel House Jr. isn't exactly a household name (no pun intended), but he was an integral piece to the Rockets' success this past season.
House averaged 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 41.6 percent from 3-point range. He is also a solid defender who can guard multiple positions, almost like a poor man's Trevor Ariza (but smaller).
The problem is that House will be a restricted free agent this summer, and it might be difficult for the Rockets to keep him. However, if they are financially capable, the Rockets should absolutely re-sign him. They saw what happened when they let Ariza walk last summer. If they repeat that again with House, it would hurt the team on both ends of the floor.
2. Keep Clint Capela
There has been some talk that the Rockets are considering moving Clint Capela, but unless they can somehow land a star in return (they won't), they should just keep him.
Yes, Capela is making big money, but he is worth it, as he is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. Sure, he is limited offensively, but he is a great pick-and-roll partner with Harden, and he is terrific defensively. Plus, his free-throw shooting is getting better and better.
Oh, and Capela just turned 25 years old last month.
Bigs like Capela don't come around very often, so when you are able to lock down one of them on a long-term deal, you should keep him.
1. Trade Chris Paul
Remember that tension I mentioned? Chris Paul reportedly wants out of Houston because of an irreparable relationship with James Harden, and CP3's exit wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
It has come to a point where Paul may actually be hampering the Rockets, as his massive salary is preventing Houston from legitimately bettering its team.
Paul is set to make $38.5 million next season, $41.4 million the following year and has a $44.2 million player option for the 2021-22 campaign that he may very well exercise.
He is no longer good enough to warrant that type of dough, and he can't stay healthy, either.
The problem is, because of Paul's contract, the Rockets are going to have a bear of a time getting something valuable in return, but it might be worth dumping him for almost nothing just to get out from under his deal.
Houston tried to hit a home run with Paul, and it didn't quite work, even if it got them close to a title in 2017-18. It's time to move on, even if that means admitting the CP3 deal was a failure.
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