Ranking Houston Rockets contracts from bargain to nightmare

Overpaid

Jeff Green

The fact that Jeff Green is even playing remotely well is a major victory, as that's not usually the case for an NBA player in their 17th season. The 37-year-old Green was especially playing well at the beginning of the season and was filling in admirably as the Rockets' reserve big man.

However, he's come back down to Earth of late, which was inevitable, considering where he's at in his career. Green is making $8 million, which is a major overpay, although it was designed, as the Rockets gave him a two-year deal worth $16 million to use as trade filler.

Fred VanVleet

Fred VanVleet has been what the Rockets have needed, as it pertains to a floor general and a consummate professional for the Rockets' young guns. VanVleet has averaged 16.7 points and eight assists, while being one of the four best starting point guards in assists-to-turnovers.

In addition, he's made 38.3 percent of his triples, while being a vocal leader and strong defender. However, his contract has been significantly greater than his on-court play, as he's making $40.8 million this season ($128 million over three years, with $83 million fully guaranteed), which makes him the third-highest paid point guard and the 14th-highest paid player in the league altogether. 

Granted, VanVleet (and any other player) wasn't going to join the Rockets last offseason without a major bag, since they were loaded with cap space and didn't have much to sell players on, especially after being bottom-feeders in the West for three consecutive seasons.

Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks was brought in to help bolster the Rockets' 29th-ranked defense from last season. He's helped in this regard, as the Rockets rank seventh in defensive efficiency, despite being led by virtually the same young core from 2022-23 (minus Brooks and VanVleet).

Brooks has averaged 12.9 points on a career-best 37.8 percent from deep, and has largely reversed many of the narratives from his days with the Memphis Grizzlies, as he's understood his role and accepted it. With that being said, he was immensely overpaid, as he had a relatively dry market after his stint in Memphis.