4 Free Agents the Houston Rockets should take a hard look at

The Houston Rockets are probably done building their 2024-25 roster. 

Probably. 

Sure, they've got more than enough depth. The Rockets also boast the most continuity in the NBA. That could be a tremendous advantage over the competition. There's no reason to rock the boat, right? 

Sure - but the Rockets could nudge it a little. There are several quality free agents left on the market. The Rockets could sign several of them to play bit roles. These guys won't revolutionize their playoff hopes for next season, but they could be moderately useful. 

Here are four free agents we'd take a look at in Rafael Stone's position. 

4. Robert Covington 

Most of these guys would play minimal roles for the Rockets. Covington is no exception. Still, as far as back-of-the-bench guys go, he could be useful. Covington played 16.1 minutes per game for a contending 76ers squad at the end of 2023-24. 

Plus, Covington is comfortable in the Toyota Center. Granted, this isn't the Covington that Houston acquired to facilitate their micro-ball experiment. At that time, he was someone teams would trade a starting-caliber Clint Capela for. Now, he's without an NBA home as training camp approaches. 

We still think he's worth a look. Covington is a grizzled veteran. He's made a living in the NBA with his nuanced understanding of team defense. Jabari Smith Jr. could learn a lot from RoCo, and if a key Rockets wing gets injured, he'll be ready to step in. 

The Rockets don't need much more than that. 

3. Thaddeus Young 

The Rockets have an interesting center rotation. Between Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Jock Landale, they've got a surplus of talent in the middle. Yet, they're lacking a certain skill set. 

None of those guys can guard the perimeter. Landale can (kind of?) space the floor, but he's not switchable. The Rockets will likely try to find minutes for Jabari Smith Jr. at the 5 so they can run modernized lineups that space the floor at every position and can switch across positions defensively. 

Why not add a big who can survive in those lineups through free agency? Young spent 96% of his minutes with the Raptors last year at the 5. Sure, you'd have to go back to 2021-22 to find a decent shooting year for Young, but he did connect on 35.4% of his triples during that season. 

Young won't be a major player for Houston. He may not even crack Ime Udoka's regular rotation. Still, he could be a better option than Jeff Green. More broadly, Young is another veteran presence who could help this young group in the locker room. 

2. Cedi Osman 

Unlike Covington and Young, it's a bit shocking that Osman doesn't have an NBA home ahead of 2024-25. Perhaps it's an indictment of the current cap situation. Teams don't even have room for quality rotation players. 

After all, Osman canned 38.9% of his triples last year. He's also a solid, versatile defender. Osman isn't a star - his on-ball chops are minimal. He's still a quality role player who belongs in the NBA. 

That said, the Rockets are not a charity. They should only sign Osman if they think it makes sense. This is a player who should command some playing time, so Stone could be hesitant to add him to the mix. More minutes for Osman means fewer minutes for Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore. 

On the other hand, more Osman minutes mean getting a better look at Sengun and Amen Thompson alongside a legitimate floor spacer (or two, if Reed Sheppard is on the floor). This is not a no-brainer - it's more of a head-scratcher - but we think the Rockets should at least take a look at Sengun's countryman. 

1. Doug McDermott

Like Osman, McDermott will deserve to see the floor in Houston. Unlike Osman, McDermott is an unequivocally poor defender. 

That's fine. They call him Dougie Buckets, not Dougie Defense. If he was Dougie Defense-and-Buckets, he'd have an NBA home by now - and a convoluted nickname. 

That's enough silliness. McDermott is a career 41.0% three-point shooter. He's one of the best shooters in the NBA. McDermott's floor gravity could unlock new possibilities in the Rockets' offense. He's also a seasoned veteran who's likely to understand playing 20 minutes one game, and not suiting up in the next. 

Sure, he could block playing time for the young players. We'll reiterate - McDermott is a bad defender. This is an Ime Udoka team. Eason will be prioritized over McDermott, and if Whitmore can't earn his place ahead of him, that's cause for concern. If McDermott is available at a one-year veteran's minimum, the Rockets should consider signing him: 

Even if they probably won't.