Grading the Rockets' free agency spending spree

Three years into this rebuild and gearing up for phase two, the Houston Rockets were primed to make some major splashes this offseason. Houston entered free agency with the most cap space of any team in the league.

Furthermore, the Rockets had been linked to nearly every notable free agent on the market.

Now that the major moves have been made, sending off some familiar faces and bringing in plenty of new ones, it's time to grade each of the Rockets' major moves during this free agency period.

Fred VanVleet: A-

This was the biggest need for this young Rockets team. The organization that successfully converted James Harden into one of the best point guards in the league believed that they could do the same with Kevin Porter Jr. Even though Porter Jr. has shown that he has the makings of a quality NBA player, he was not quite able to bring order to a chaotic rebuilding team under the coaching of Stephen Silas.

You get the sense that the hiring of Ime Udoka drastically changed the outlook on Houston's offseason. Favoring defensive-minded players who are viewed as high-effort winning players, it was always going to be difficult for Harden to fit into Udoka's vision for a team that has been a bottom-tier defense for the past three seasons.

Enter 29-year-old Fred VanVleet on a three-year deal for approximately $130 million. Some Rockets insiders have reported that the third year is a team option.

VanVleet fits nicely into the needs of this team. He may not be one of the premier point guards in the league, but he has proven to be a quality defender and decision maker who can shoot at a high level in competitive games. He is not the free agent that instantly vaults the Rockets into championship contention but any kind of signing with that hope would have been an exercise in impatience and folly.

He was an undrafted free agent who worked his way into being the only player who stole a Finals MVP vote from Kawhi Leonard in 2019. The Rockets overpay for a couple of years in order to get a player who will mentor guys like Jalen Green and KPJ while also adding instant wins to the team's 2023 season. Great signing.

Dillon Brooks: C

This one is complicated. Brooks became one of the laughingstocks of the postseason when he publicly challenged LeBron James (yes, that LeBron James) to score 40 on him. Brooks went on to put up one of the worst performances of his playoff career while James ultimately led the Lakers past Brooks' Grizzlies and on into the second round. It only got worse from there for Brooks, as he mourned over his public villain status to the media following an embarrassing performance.

Now he will be making $80 million over the next four years as a member of the Houston Rockets. There's little certainty about who the Rockets believed themselves to be competing against to sign Brooks.

An average annual value (AAV) of $20 million is potentially $5 million dollars per year more than anyone else was going to put on the table. It has been reported that Brooks is coming via sign and trade but the exact details of that trade have yet to come out.

This ties Houston up with big money for a wing defender who has not shot well in the years when they will likely be giving raises to guys like Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün. There is a reason why even the reporters and analysts who have been favorable toward the Rockets are shocked by this deal.

What's so complicated about that? The Houston Rockets gave a long-term deal with a high AAV to a one-dimensional player whose value may be at an all-time low since he became a key contributor to the Memphis Grizzlies. It would be very easy to write this off as a terrible deal for a player with terrible PR.

However, Brooks will come in on day one and be one of the hardest workers on the team. He has a relentless motor and an incredible nose for the basketball.

Udoka will need to rein in his shot selection and volume, but one of the top wing defenders in the league has the potential to be an immediate floor-raiser. Adding him means that you can possibly have two or three of VanVleet, Brooks, Thompson, Eason, and Smith Jr. on the floor at any time. This will be a huge lift for Green and Şengün while they try and find their way defensively.

The contract and player alone would put this deal in the D range, but the Rockets' great need for an elite wing defender with unwavering effort brings this up to a passing grade. It is a bad deal, but it is a solid addition.

Jock Landale: B

He's definitely no Brook Lopez, but Landale should be a much welcomed signing for Houston. Landale was last seen stealing minutes away from the often disgruntled Deandre Ayton in the 2023 postseason. He'll now be coming off the bench for one of the most interesting up and coming centers in the NBA in Alperen Şengün on a four-year $32 million deal with only the first year being guaranteed.

Similar to VanVleet and Brooks, Landale will give an instant jolt to the core of this team. His effort and competition for more minutes will drive Şengün to another level.

He'll come in for about 15 minutes, hold his own defensively, grab some rebounds, and score on moderate efficiency. He isn't the most exciting big man that the Rockets could have signed, but he will be a nightly contributor to the "little things" and leave plenty of room for Şengün to bloom into everything his stans think he is.

Good signing. Solid player and flexible contract. If he can improve his 3-point shooting to a rate closer to his NBL numbers, it could turn into a great signing.

Jeff Green: A

Welcome back, Uncle Jeff! Green may be the epitome of what Udoka was hoping for when he asked for experienced vets who have won on the highest stage that still promote internal growth.

The journeyman is fresh off of a much deserved NBA title where he was seen providing veteran leadership to some of the most important players on Denver's championship team.

Don't expect Green to play a lot of minutes, but rather to come in as the 11th man during an 82-game season and help guide players like Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Alperen Şengün. Green will be especially helpful for the young Rockets who may find themselves as role players long term.

Green started his career as a potential star prospect but eventually molded his game around his strengths and learned how to contribute meaningfully to whichever team he found himself on.

Jeff Green officially signed for two-years $16 million, the second year being non-guaranteed. This gives the Rockets an excellent vet and some more flexibility as they navigate the long-term future of this roster.

Aaron Holiday: A

26-year-old Aaron Holiday is a quality backup. It's unclear how much he'll really be playing unless there's an injury or load management situation for one of the other guards on the roster.

Nonetheless, it will be great for this team to have a cheap bench player who can come in when needed without having to sacrifice organization on the floor.

There really isn't any negative to signing Holiday, especially at the veteran minimum. He's a quick add to a team that has already filled out its major roles. Great signing to help get to a 15 player roster!

Trade Departures: D

Along with those being added to the squad, there are a few players who needed to be sent away in order to clear up space on the bench and in the cap.

Kenyon Martin Jr.: C

KJ has been one of the most fun players on this roster. However, the writing was on the wall with the rise of Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. by the end of the 2022-2023 season, along with Cam Whitmore falling to the Rockets with the 20th pick.

Martin is a valuable player but there is no longer a place for him on this team. It was the right thing for Houston to do by KJ to send him to a competitive team in his hometown where he'll find a role very quickly.

The only gripe here is that waiting until you had to trade Martin very likely lowered his value to such a level that the Rockets had to take just about any offer that could be deemed fair. Passing grade, but could have been much better in theory. KJ will be sorely missed as one of the first pieces in this rebuild.

Washington and Garuba: F

Perhaps the most shocking of all these moves for Rockets fans was the shipping off of 2021 and 2022 first-round picks, Tyty Washington and Usman Garuba, to Atlanta along with two second-round picks in exchange for the draft rights of 2017 pick Alpha Kaba.

Rockets fans spent what felt like an eternity waiting to learn what the next domino to this move was, only to see reports that it was a salary dump to make room for Brook Lopez, who initially agreed to a deal with Houston before reneging and agreeing to return to the Bucks. After Lopez made his decision, the Rockets seemed to have decided to honor their initial agreement.

No matter what you believe about integrity and handshake deals, the Rockets are out of four potentially valuable assets for the rights to a player who has yet to step foot in the NBA in any capacity. Washington and Garuba may not have retrieved much value in return, but it would be shocking if the Rockets weren't able to at least get a future second-round pick for each of them instead of sending both of them away with two attached.

It's a terrible deal that's accomplished almost nothing as it currently stands.

Overall Grade: B

All in all, some very production additions for Houston. Each move added a role player and depth around a cast of young players that will hopefully catapult this team into contention once they reach their full potential. Fans should expect this team to be well on its way to achieving its phase two goal of returning to the playoffs sooner rather than later.