Houston Rockets should consider signing Luc Mbah a Moute

As free agency starts to come to a close, there is a still a role that the Houston Rockets should look to fill. Could a former player from a couple of years ago return and take that spot?

The Houston Rockets and their roster for next year are nearly complete. They made one of the biggest moves of the summer, trading Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook. Besides that, though, they were able to bring back most of the core roster from last year on cheap deals.

They also added a couple of lottery picks who didn’t quite work out with their original teams. Anthony Bennett, a former No. 1 overall pick and noted bust, will look to put his career back on track in Houston. Ben McLemore, another top-10 guy in that same 2013 draft, also will be on the squad and will look to fulfill a role with the Rockets.

Looking at the roster, though, the team could really benefit by signing another forward to get some minutes. Gary Clark is in a backup power forward role currently and he didn’t quite look ready in Summer League, minus one solid game. Bringing in a vet that is familiar with the system could be very beneficiary.

One idea that I’ve seen thrown around Rockets Twitter, and now on The Athletic by Kelly Iko, is bringing back Luc Mbah a Moute, a huge part of the historic 2017-18 team. He would be a good fit and seems to back from an injury-plagued year last season.

Last time he was here

Luc Mbah a Moute was one of the most underrated players in the league whenever he was here in Houston last. He was a plus-minus machine and played incredible defense all-around. He was also respectable from deep, hitting 36.4% of his shots from out there. His ability to stretch the floor from the power forward position while being an elite defender made him a fantastic bench guy.

Unfortunately, his season practically ended when he hurt his shoulder before the playoffs. When he got back, he wasn’t quite the same and seemed to rush back from the injury. He wasn’t a factor in the postseason when the Rockets really could have used him against the Warriors.

Last year, he played just four games for the LA Clippers. He had season-ending surgery on his knee but seems to be back to full strength now. The Rockets should take a chance on him, as he still has some years left in the league.

We’ll see if the Rockets decide to sign him as the offseason starts to wind down. Either way, we’re in for one exciting year in H-Town!