The Houston Rockets waited for more than a year to get back at the Golden State Warriors after a painful loss in the Western Conference Finals last season. However, the Rockets failed once again, losing to the defending champions in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs in six games.
The Rockets failed to capitalize on the absence of Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, as they took a 118-113 defeat on Friday night in Houston. But despite losing to the Warriors anew, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni is not expecting a major roster shakeup in the offseason.
D'Antoni said in the post-game press conference that they intend to retain their current core. While he did not specify any player, the veteran coach and the Rockets are likely to keep James Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela, PJ Tucker, and Eric Gordon for another run next season.
"We have to gather ourselves this summer, get the core group and bust it next year."
Mike D'Antoni on the Rockets future.#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1KKORgtMhM
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 11, 2019
Gordon's situation is quite interesting as he has only a year left in his contract. His $14.05 million contract next season might eventually become an attractive trade target for teams that will look to create salary cap space. Paul, Harden, Capela, and Tucker still have at least two years left in the contract.
The Rockets' supporting cast for next season might look a little bit different, though. Iman Shumpert, Gerald Green, Austin Rivers, Michael Carter-Williams, and Kenneth Faried will all become free agents in July.
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