Houston Rockets: Which free agents should be retained?

Houston Rockets: Should David Nwaba be retained?

David Nwaba was one of the main reasons for the Rockets’ stout early-season defense. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism allows him to be an elite multi-positional defender.

Defensive stalwarts tend to get overlooked by fans and the media but smart front offices will be looking at Nwaba as one of their primary offseason targets. Any team in need of defensive help will be keeping close tabs on Nwaba, which could cause him to get expensive.

The Rockets will certainly be interested in keeping Nwaba around for seasons to come but for a rebuilding team, he is a luxury that has a price. If Nwaba is commanding $10 million or more per season then the Rockets will likely thank him for his service and let him go to greener pastures.

However, the teams in the most need of a player like Nwaba are contenders and they usually don’t have much cap space to speak of. There’s a chance that contenders won’t be able to afford him and the teams bidding for his services are all fringe playoff teams making his familiarity with the Rockets a trump card in negotiations.

It can’t be forgotten, the Rockers signed Nwaba while he was rehabbing a torn Achilles and that goodwill should still be there. David Nwaba is an excellent player who contributes to winning in a way that doesn’t often show up in a big way on the stat sheet. The Rockets should try their best to keep him around, but it’s likely he’ll find a bigger payday than they can afford.

The verdict: re-sign up to $10 million per season

Next: Should the Rockets retain Sterling Brown?