Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are reportedly seen as priority targets for the one team with the most money to spend this summer in NBA free agency.
We are just days away from the start of one of the busiest periods on the NBA calendar. While the annual draft is extremely important for the long-term potential of franchises around the league, NBA free agency is the chance for organizations to add talent that can make immediate impacts and turn playoff pretenders into contenders.
Related: Top 2023 NBA free agents – Best 100 available with positional breakdowns
One team that is expected to make a lot of noise on the free-agent market is the Houston Rockets. The franchise tried to rebuild from scratch through the NBA Draft and in player development over the last three years, however, the results thus far have been unimpressive. Their patience has worn thin and they want to return to relevancy right now. It is why they hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to lead the team and plan to be very active in free agency.
For months, the Houston Rockets — who have the most salary cap space this summer — have been linked to a reunion with former star James Harden. A return seems fitting since it was his push for a trade out of town that started the organization’s rebuild.
But, over the last week or so it is looking more likely that the future Hall-of-Famer will probably re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Well, it seems that the Rockets have a plan B if they miss out on Harden.
Fred VanVleet is Houston Rockets Plan-B in NBA free agency
On Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein revealed in his evening newsletter that Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet would be their fallback plan if they can sign Harden. And despite rumors of a $30 million annual price tag, they “are said to be ready to go to such lengths to sign away one of the last on-court connections to Toronto’s title-winning team from 2018-19.”
However, VanVleet would not be their only priority on the open market. While the team has the space to sign two big names or maybe three second-tier players, Stein was informed by another source that “Houston should be labeled as the favorite to sign” Memphis Grizzlies veteran Dillon Brooks.
The reason for the interest in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks is because Houston “wants to add players who can contribute at both ends and provide veteran guidance to the core of younger players that Houston has been amassing.”
The Rockets added Overtime Elite star Amen Thompson and Villanova standout Cam Whitmore in the 2023 NBA Draft.