The Rockets are reportedly interested in two wings via buyout

According to reports, the Rockets are looking to increase their wing depth in the buyout market.

The Houston Rockets enjoyed a very inactive trade deadline yesterday. As we said in the article yesterday, this is the first year in which Morey hasn’t made a move since becoming GM of the Rockets (minus 2016 with the botched D-Mo deal).

As such, the Rockets are looking to be fairly active in the buyout market. To the media, Morey said, “We’re optimistic about one buyout if not more that maybe would work.” The Rockets could use this time to really solidify their already-great rotation.

And now, two specific candidates have come into play for Houston. Joe Johnson, who will be bought out by the Kings, and Tony Allen, who was just waived by the Bulls.

How would these two guys fit with the Rockets? Let’s discuss each individually:

Joe Johnson

Iso-Joe Johnson is a great veteran in the league. He has been around for quite a few NBA seasons, 17 to be exact. He has played a bit more forward in recent years as his quickness has diminished.

Joe Johnson would be a player for the Rockets that could play practically any position. He’ll have Chris Paul and/or James Harden with him on the court at all times, so he wouldn’t have to worry about playing point guard. He’s also a bit too old to be an effective shot creator/distributor, as well. But he can still play the off-guard position if needed along with both forward positions.

From a statistical standpoint, Joe isn’t quite the same as he used to be. However, he is just one year removed from shooting over 40% from 3 with the Jazz. He can come off the bench and provide some isolation scoring along with spotting up for 3. He handles the ball better than most of the players that are currently coming off of the bench for the Rockets.

Johnson already has a great relationship with head coach Mike D’Antoni. MDA coached Johnson for quite a few years in Phoenix and really helped establish him as an NBA All-Star.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Iso-Joe is on a path that will lead him to Houston.

Windhorst said today that "word on the street" is Joe Johnson will likely end up in Houston. I know the D'Antoni-JJ relationship is very strong, even today. This would be a good place/system for a bounceback for him. https://t.co/bcLPrfR6s9

— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) February 9, 2018

Joe Johnson would be a great fit in Houston. It would be nice to have his shooting and experience as well as his veteran presence.

Tony Allen

Tony Allen is another buyout candidate that the Rockets are reportedly interested in signing. He also has been around quite awhile, this being his 14th year in the NBA.

Allen would certainly be an interesting fit in Houston. He is not a shooter by any means but is consistently one of the best wing defenders in the league. In his career, Tony has made three All-Defensive First Teams and three All-Defensive Second Teams.

As I said earlier, he is not a shooter. Tony Allen is a career 28% shooter from deep and has never averaged more than 1 attempt per game. He is shooting a below-average, but not awful, 33% from 3 this year with the Pelicans.

Still, he has always been fairly efficient inside the 3-point line. Allen has a career field goal percentage of 47.5%. He can drive to the paint and play exceptional defense off the bench if the Rockets want to take a chance on him.

Houston and OKC are among the teams looking to sign Allen, according to David Aldridge:

Oklahoma City, Houston among the early teams inquiring about @aa000G9, released Friday by the Bulls, per league source.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 9, 2018

What do you think of these potential signings? Should the Rockets look elsewhere? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.

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