10 big men Rockets GM Rafael Stone should pursue

Houston Rockets target #4: John Henson

John Henson entered the league with high expectations, having been a lottery pick and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year during his three-year run at North Carolina. Henson hasn’t exactly lived up to those expectations, as he hasn’t developed into a star player, but he’s been a solid and steady rotational player, which is exactly the role that the Rockets would need him to fill.

Through eight seasons Henson has a career average of 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes, and his 7-foot-6 wingspan certainly has helped him on the defensive end. Henson posted averages of 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per 36 during the 2019-20 season, which is proof that he can still contribute.

Henson has the versatility to play either the forward or center position, and his rebounding would provide a significant boost to a Rockets team that ranks 21st in rebounding this season. To that point, Henson had an offensive rebound percentage of 8.5 percent during the 2019-20 season, which would be the highest clip on the Rockets this season.

Henson posted a defensive rebound percentage of 28 percent just two seasons ago, which would be second on the Rockets this season, behind only DeMarcus Cousins. Henson is still a free agent, as he wasn’t invited to any team’s training camp and would figure to be available for a fairly low cost.

For the 14-16 minutes that Henson would be relied upon, the Rockets could do much worse than him.

Next: No. 3