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To say that the Houston Rockets have had anything less than an A-plus offseason thus far would be a lie. Fresh off their first playoff appearance since 2020, the Rockets sense that their contending window is wide open and took advantage of it accordingly, trading for Kevin Durant to remedy their halfcourt scoring woes, and then signing Dorian Finney-Smith to replace the 3-and-D contributions of Dillon Brooks, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the Durant deal.
But then the Rockets surprised the NBA world when reports came out that they had agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal with Clint Capela, reuniting with their starting center from 2016 to early 2020. If there's a position that the Rockets had already shored up, it was at center; they have All-Star Alperen Sengun starting, the resurgent Steven Adams, armed with a new contract, backing him up, and Adams' fellow Oceanian, Jock Landale, around as the third-string center just in case it was necessary to rest Adams.
It was a bit confounding as to why the Rockets would sign Capela. While stocking up on depth is never the worst idea, there will never be a scenario where Houston ends up playing Adams and Capela together. With Sengun being the number-one priority at center, it will be Adams and Capela splitting minutes — and was it really worth it to pony up that kind of money to do so?
With that said, here is the signing the Rockets should have made instead of doubling down on a non-floor spacing, rim-rolling big in Capela.
Rockets prioritize frontcourt versatility, sign Guerschon Yabusele instead
Make no mistake about it, Capela will be a helpful piece for the Rockets, someone who fits the team's identity to a T. This past season, the Rockets bludgeoned the opposition on the glass, making up for their lackluster halfcourt offense with their ability to be the most ferocious offensive rebounding team in the league at present.
There's a reason why the Rockets thrived in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs when they paired Sengun with Adams, taking advantage of the Golden State Warriors' lack of size and dominating the boards as a result. Adams, in particular, saw a major career revival, as he was back to his monstrous ways on the offensive glass and received a three-year, $39 million contract extension as a result.
The line of thinking behind the Rockets' signing of Capela is clear; in having another similar player to Adams, they shield him from the wear and tear that players accrue in the regular season. Moreover, they also have added insurance in the event that he finds himself in foul trouble.
Adams, as one would recall, missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a major knee injury. And at 31 years of age, he needs more protection from injury than ever. That's where Capela comes in to function as a reasonable facsimile to the Big Kiwi.
That explains why the Rockets would go out of their way to make signing another center a priority. But if they truly wanted to reinforce their frontcourt further, why not pursue Guerschon Yabusele instead?
For an insurance plan in the frontcourt, Capela is not very durable himself. He played in just 55 games last season and has dealt with a myriad of injuries, and it's clear that he's on the decline. Meanwhile, Yabusele stayed healthy last season and played in 70 games, starting 43 of them.
Yabusele is not the shot-blocker and rebounder that Capela is. But he can space the floor and guard the perimeter reasonably well, while displaying the ability to line up both at the four and at the five. He's a rugged defender who gives away not a single inch, making him a perfect fit for the Rockets' identity of physical play.
Unlike Capela, Yabusele is a more seamless fit on most Rockets lineups, even those with suboptimal spacing. Amen Thompson and Adams will feature prominently in the rotation, and they're non-shooters. Yabusele shot 38.0 percent from deep last season on 3.9 attempts per game — the kind of output on offense that the Rockets will need to make things go smoother for them on that end of the floor.
Perhaps the Rockets were wary of Yabusele and his lack of a consistent track record. But Yabusele has come back stateside as a different player who's learned a lot during his stint away from the NBA from 2019 to 2024. He's also two years younger than Capela.
Yabusele ended up signing a two-year deal with the New York Knicks worth around $12 million — an offer the Rockets could have easily matched or even surpassed.
