4 players that likely won’t be back with the Rockets next year

3. DeMarre Carroll

When the San Antonio Spurs signed DeMarre Carroll this past offseason, it seemed like a good fit, as Carroll is a solid 3-and-D player. This is a valuable skillset around the league, and Carroll had proven his value for a decade, so it seemed like the Spurs were making a solid signing.

It ultimately didn’t work out in San Antonio for the 33-year-old forward, which led to him getting bought out. This allowed the Rockets to step in and steal him off the buyout market, which was quite the bargain.

There were plenty of things to be excited about with Carroll, as he appeared to be a fit for a Rockets team that decided to employ the small ball scheme, which was a fit for the 6-foot-6 forward. But Carroll struggled to get playing time, as he was held out of four of the Rockets games, despite being healthy.

All in all, Carroll played in six games for the Rockets, while averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and posting a player efficiency rating of 13.5. Carroll also posted a true shooting percentage of 62.4 percent, which is a career-best for him. Carroll also made 48 percent of his shots, which is the highest clip he’s reached since the 2014-15 season.

Although there were several positives from Carroll this season, he struggled mightily in a very important area: 3-point shooting. This is paramount for the Rockets’ style of play, as they consistently lead the league in 3-point attempts year-after-year and take over 48.8 percent of their shots from long-range.

Carroll struggled to the tune of 28.6 percent from behind the arc, which explains why he couldn’t land more than 16 minutes per game. This almost guarantees he won’t be back in a Rockets uniform next season, as his value is extremely limited for the Rockets if he’s not making his threes.

Next: No. 2