4 Houston Rockets players who definitely shouldn't be back in 2024-25

2. Jae'Sean Tate

Remember when we said that the Rockets were starved for spacing? Tate is part of that problem. His 29.9% three-point shooting was often problematic for the team in 2023-24.

Sometimes, it seemed to drag the team down. The most-used lineup the Rockets fan featuring Tate this year, per CleaningTheGlass, had him alongside Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet. That's one of the better shooting lineups that Houston could put around Tate, and the group was -5.8 in 353 possessions.

We're not saying Tate can't be a useful player. He's a versatile defender who always plays with effort. On a team that can count shooting as a strength, he could be a glue guy.

The Rockets are not that team. Tate is the last remanent of the Harden era. Saying goodbye to him won't be easy. If the Rockets want to continue improving in 2024-25, it may be necessary.