The Houston Rockets entered the 2024 NBA offseason with high hopes of building on their promising 2023-24 campaign. With a young core showing significant improvement and a clear mission to accelerate their rebuild, the Rockets aimed to add complementary pieces to their roster. However, despite their best efforts, one decision stands out as their biggest mistake in the 2024 NBA free agency.
Houston's young core of Jalen Green (22), Amen Thompson (22), Alperen Sengun (22), and Reed Sheppard (20) is a fine starting point for a half-decade worth of upward trajectory. The Rockets' inexperienced supporting cast of Jabari Smith Jr. (21), Cam Whitmore (20), A.J. Griffin (21), and Tari Eason (23) has a couple of second-contract keepers. Steven Adams (31), Fred VanVleet (30), and Dillon Brooks (29) are supposed to lead a postseason push.
That trio are the prime candidates to be traded away in furtherance of the new timeline if the Rockets are not close to a top-8 spot at the trade deadline. Las Vegas bookmakers are betting against that happening. Frankly, the Rockets needed a better, younger point guard than Aaron Holiday (28) to have a chance of competing in the Western Conference over the next two seasons.
Rockets' biggest 2024 NBA free agency mistake
While the Rockets have a promising future with their young talent, the decision to not prioritize a veteran playmaker in the 2024 free agency could be a setback in their rebuilding process. The team will need to rely heavily on internal development and hope that their young players can step up and fill the leadership void. Worse, there was an option available in the also 28-year-old Tyus Jones.
Brooks is more of an off-ball wing and not a ball-dominant facilitator. He is locked up for three more seasons though. VanVleet, the nominal point guard but also the team's best three-point shooter, is on an expiring deal, though there is a club option for 2025-26 at $44.8 million.
Thompson's limitations were evident last season (13.8% from three-point range!) and during NBA Summer League action. Sheppard is more of a sparkplug shooting guard than a table-setter for others at the moment. The Rockets needed a competent reserve to scare the Western Conference's top-six seeds on a nightly basis. Houston lacked easy opportunities and played at a somewhat lethargic pace far too often under Ime Udoka.
- Points: 113.7 (20th)
- Assists: 24.7 (29th)
- Steals: 7.7 (10th)
- Turnovers: 12.7 (7th)
- Threes attempted: 35.9 (12th)
- Defensive Rating: 112.8 (10th)
- Pace: 99.59 (13th)
Houston is in no hurry
A proper point guard would have solved these issues and put the stars in a better spot. Tyus Jones was 12th in assists (11.5) per 100 possessions last season with the lottery-bound Washington Wizards. VanVleet was 18th with 10.6 assists per 100 possessions leading the Rockets. Holiday was 91st (5.1) as an offensive afterthought in Houston.
The Rockets saw firsthand there was no fuel left in Holiday's legs. Jones shot 41.6% on three-pointers last season. No one in Houston's main rotation was above 39%. Holiday has been above 41% once in the last six seasons but at half the volume of Jones. Holiday's per 36 averages (14.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals) pale in comparison as well. Jones is good for the same points (14.7) but over twice as many assists (9.0).
Houston is incurring a $4.7 million cap hit to bring Holiday back to the bench. The Phoenix Suns scooped Jones up for the veteran minimum of $2.1 million. Jones will be far more valuable on the court and at the trade deadline. That is why the decision to run things back with Holiday instead of going after Jones more aggressively is one of the organization's biggest mistakes in free agency.
Not that it is a huge mistake. It may be the smallest ‘huge mistake' headline of the offseason. The current squad is set up for long-term success.
It is perhaps a blessing in disguise. Houston's young core gets more pressure-free developmental minutes. The front office has a clean cap sheet going forward so the extra dollars for Holiday could come in handy for salary matching purposes.
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