Indiana Pacers: 4 teams that might steal Justin Holiday this summer
By Josh Wilson
Houston Rockets have to make small money, big impact moves
The Houston Rockets are a really intriguing team when it comes to free agency this summer.
Seven of their rotational players return next season, and Austin Rivers has a player option for $2.4 million that could go either way.
This team is defined on the wings. They have gone all-in on the small ball experiment by trading away Clint Capela this year to go small and shoot even more 3-pointers. Unfortunately for them, they might not be able to see the fruits of their labor with that experiment if the season is indeed canceled.
With no direct proof in that case that the small ball route didn’t work, and the general framework to run it back next year, I could certainly see the Houston Rockets going with that same strategy again next year and signing free agents that help them reach that goal.
The problem? They already have a $130 million payroll for next year which means they won’t have much money to use.
Signing someone like Holiday with mid-level exception money is the kind of marginal move you might expect from the Rockets.
With defensive ability and moderate length, Holiday is the kind of quick and athletic forward that could fit right in with Houston. He can shoot the three and help them continue to space the floor and already has experience getting slotted into a number of different positions with the Pacers this season.