4 players the Houston Rockets chose to hold on to way too long

The Houston Rockets have been one of the most willing teams to make trades with across the league. Every year the Rockets have been mentioned as one of the teams to look for at the NBA’s trade deadline, and especially during Daryl Morey’s tenure as the GM.

More often than not, the Rockets have seemingly always known when to pull the trigger on a deal, as they’ve developed a reputation of being able to gauge the value of an asset. This has led to criticism from players, who have spoken out about essentially being viewed and treated as assets, as opposed to players with feelings and emotions.

Long-time NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick nearly signed with the Rockets in 2017 but ultimately decided against it for this very reason, as Redick explained.

"I hate to say this- but you never know with Daryl and how he operates. A three-year deal could really be a six-month deal if you get dealt at the trade deadline for a superstar as part of a package of six.”

4 players the Houston Rockets held on to for too long

The Rockets have tried to self-correct since Morey left the franchise in 2020, which has led to the complete opposite. In other words, Rockets GM Rafael Stone, who worked under Morey, has prioritized relationships significantly more than Morey, and has ultimately held on to players probably a little longer than he should have.

Let’s take a look at several players who the Rockets held on to for too long (Morey included).