The Rockets hit the ground running in the free agency market as they acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and former Rocket Clint Capela within the first few hours of free agency. Dorian Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Rockets, and Capela signed a three-year, $21 million deal. These are the new additions to the frontcourt that was already logjammed with young and veteran talent like Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and more.
Following these acquisitions, let’s take a look at the roster depth of the Rockets for each position (in order of preference for the position).
Point Guards (PG): Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday
Shooting Guards (SG): Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore
Small Forwards (SF): Kevin Durant, Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nate Williams
Power Forwards (PF): Jabari Smith Jr., Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green
Centers (C): Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Jock Landale
If the Rockets can figure out a way to retain Cam Whitmore on this team, this roster depth makes them look nearly destined for a championship within the next two seasons. But according to Yossi Gozlan, the NBA salary cap analyst, financial restrictions will force them to most likely waive Jock Landale and trade Whitmore.
Are The Rockets Still Title Contenders Without Whitmore?
Yes, the Rockets are still considered one of the frontrunners from the Western Conference to make a run for the NBA championship in the 2025-26 season. Whitmore was not crucial to the team last season, but he is a valuable young asset for the team with tremendous upside and potential to grow.
Averaging just 16 minutes per game in the 2024-25 regular season, he averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 35.5%. Analysts across the country were shocked to see him fall to the 20th pick when the Rockets drafted him. They should look for a way to retain him on the team if possible, like waiving Landale and Nate Williams or trading Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday instead. But the latter is unlikely since they both signed a one-year veteran minimum contract with the team only a few days ago.
