The Houston Rockets didn’t accomplish all of their goals entering 2023 free agency. They did land two of their three marquee veteran targets in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, but the third — Milwaukee big man Brook Lopez — clearly slipped away late.
When that happened, the Rockets and general manager Rafael Stone could have still used that salary slot by simply turning to another established veteran at center. But instead, with Houston still in something of a rebuilding phase, the team appears to have pivoted to a backup plan involving contract optionality.
