The only 2 free agents the Rockets should consider signing

AJ Griffin is gone. It's official now. It's a sad story, and ultimately, the Houston Rockets are only a small part of it. The story is about Griffin, and all we can do is wish him the best.

If there's a silver lining, it's the open roster spot the Rockets have created in Griffin's absence. Now, we can explore options to flesh out their rotation.

If you're a loyal reader, you know we've already done so. In this article, we'll get a bit more granular. We've published lists of free agents we think the Rockets should consider, but realistically, we're only interested in a pair of veterans:

Doug McDermott and Robert Covington.

These are disparate players. They have polarizing strengths and weaknesses. Here, we'll break down the case for each, and land on the free agent we prefer.

The case for Robert Covington

This is not a complicated argument: Covington is a stout defender. He's not someone who's going to lock his man down in a one-on-one situation, but Covington is a notoriously impactful team defender.

He knows when to help, and he uses his quick, large hands to come up with steals regularly. Covington can also block shots from the weak side.

Rockets fans know this: Covington was already a Rocket. He was an integral part of the infamous micro-ball Rockets. Covington's defensive versatility was a large part of how the Rockets (almost) got away with running the 6'5" P.J. Tucker at the 5.

What's not to love?

The case for Doug McDermott

Well, shooting is not necessarily Covington's strong suit.

He's competent. Covington is a career 36.2% shooter from three-point range. That doesn't tell the whole story. In 2022-23, Covington shot 39.7% from distance, but last year, that figure dropped to 33.9%. That sort of inconsistency encapsulates Covington's career.

That's not a concern for McDermott. He's on a short list of the best shooters in NBA history. McDermott has shot 41.0% from distance throughout his career, and in his 9 NBA seasons, he's finished under 40% just twice - including his rookie year.

That's massive for a Rockets team that ranked 23rd (35.2%) in three-point percentage in 2023-24. They badly need shooting. If Covington is having a down year, he may not be able to crack the rotation.

Is the decision obvious?

Verdict: McDermott is our man

No.

It would be difficult to overstate how weak McDermott is on the defensive end. He's among the worst defenders in the NBA.

We all know that the Rockets are trying to establish a defense-first culture. As a rule, if you can't offer value on that end, you're not part of Ime Udoka's rotation.

That's where we start leaning towards McDermott again. Chances are, Griffin wasn't going to be a substantial part of the Rockets' rotation in the first place. With their available roster spot, the Rockets should be looking for a specialist in an area of need that they can plug in on a per-need basis.

That sounds like McDermott. If he's healthy, Tari Eason should be similar - but better - to Covington last year. By contrast, the Rockets don't have a wing with meaningful three-point gravity unless Jabari Smith Jr. makes another leap. Adding McDermott would diversify their rotation in a way that adding Covington would not. We appreciate what Covington did for the Rockets a few years ago, and this is nothing personal:

In this case, it's just about basketball.