Houston Rockets: The Rockets’ 5-step rebuild plan to contention

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Anthony Davis, Rob Pelinka, Frank Vogel (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Houston Rockets rebuild step 5: Cash in assets for a star

To be a contender in the NBA you need a superstar player. Christian Wood has a chance to become one but having a single superstar usually isn’t enough. The Rockets need to cash all of the assets they’re collecting in for a player that can get them back to the top.

The Rockets can go two routes with their assets to land a superstar. Their first option, use draft picks to find and develop the franchise’s next All-NBA caliber player. The second option for the Rockets is to use those picks to pluck a superstar through trade.

There are merits to both avenues and plenty of current examples of how fruitful each path can be but both have their drawbacks. Using the draft to find a superstar is risky because knowing how a player will develop is an inexact science.

However, trying to find a superstar through the draft gives you the most swings at it and it allows your team to remain financially flexible. The avenue of using draft picks to trade for a superstar makes landing an impact player much easier but it can put your finances in a jumble and if it doesn’t work out your left without a back-up plan.

For the Rockets to complete their rebuild they’ll need to read the tea leaves and be opportunistic. When the Rockets landed James Harden they did just that and they’re poised to do so again.

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There will be a few lean years as the Rockets try to rebuild a contender but if they stick to this five-step process they’ll be in a position to get back to contention sooner than expected. The best franchises are never down for long and the Rockets have rebounded quickly from a dire situation.