With Christian Wood traded and Alperen Sengun a first-time starter at center with notorious fouling concerns, Houston is understandably in the market for center depth entering the NBA’s 2022 free agency.
The Rockets are over the salary cap entering the 2022 offseason and limited to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE) as a maximum offer to players, starting at around $10.5 million annually.
But with Houston projected to have major salary cap room in 2023, the big question is whether the rebuilding Rockets are simply bargain basement shopping for any big man who might fall through the cracks and be open to a one-year contract, or if they might be willing to invest more heavily and cut into their potential 2023 flexibility for the right fit.
