4 free agents the Rockets wish they'd signed instead of Dillon Brooks

2. Taurean Prince

Talk about saving some money.

Prince earned just $4.5 million from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24. The Rockets could have signed Prince and had enough money left over for a shooting specialist, right?

Perhaps it's not that simple. Prince joined a Lakers team that was supposed to be in the running for an NBA title. Still, the Rockets could have overpaid for Prince and still saved money. If they'd offered him $10 million a season, he'd have to have been tempted to join them - and the Rockets would still save $11.5 million by avoiding Brooks.

He'd have been worth that money. Prince shot 39.6% from long-range last year. He's also a rugged defender who would have had the same cultural impact on the Rockets that Brooks did. The Rockets could have saved some money, and instead, they missed an opportunity.