With the 2021-22 trade deadline having passed, here’s an updated look at who the Houston Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone will have on their salary books entering the NBA’s 2022 offseason.
It was a quieter deadline than many expected for the Rockets, with the only transaction being the move of veteran center Daniel Theis to Boston for guard Dennis Schroder and big man Bruno Fernando.
Unlike Theis, who was under contract for three seasons, Schroder and Fernando each have contracts that expire after the 2021-22 season. Thus, the move gives Stone more flexibility in future offseasons.
On the other hand, the downside could be that since Schroder was signed last offseason to a one-year contract, the Rockets won’t have any Bird rights to help retain him. Should the 28-year-old play well enough to warrant consideration for a longer-term future in Houston, the Rockets would have to hope that their mid-level exception — or 120% of his current salary of $5.9 million — would be enough to do the trick.
OFFICIAL: The Rockets today announced they have traded Daniel Theis to Boston in exchange for guard Dennis Schröder, center Bruno Fernando, and center Enes Freedom.
In a related move, the Rockets have waived guards D.J. Augustin and Armoni Brooks.
📝 https://t.co/fCzI6oMRR9 pic.twitter.com/87E3SWm7W5
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 11, 2022
The Rockets did free up a roster spot as part of their deadline moves, since guardsto DJ Augustin and Armoni Brooks were waived to make room for Schroder, Fernando, and Enes Freedom (included for salary reasons and immediately waived). The vacant spot was then used to sign rookie guard Daishen Nix to a standard four-year contract, which opened up a two-way contract slot that had previously belonged to Nix. As of Monday, Feb. 21, the Rockets had yet to re-issue that deal.
In the aftermath of those moves, here is an updated look at who will be on Houston’s roster entering the 2022 offseason. This list is sorted by annual salary, going from the most in 2021-22 to the least.
