Rockets News: Roster finalized, extensions pending

The 2024-25 NBA season is just around the corner. The Houston Rockets are preparing.

By now, we've got a solid picture of the team. We know roughly - barring a trade - what they'll look like this season. There will not be any surprises on opening night.

That said, the Rockets just cut three players from their roster.

It wasn't exactly a surprise.

Rockets cut three fringe players

Specifically, Matt Bradey, Nate Hinton, and Jermaine Samuels Jr. will not be on the roster this season.

Call a spade a spade - any player on the periphery of the NBA is immensely talented. Any of these guys would decimate everyone you've ever met in a game of horse: unless you hang out with NBA players.

Still, you'd be forgiven if you'd never heard of Bradey. Nobody expected him to make the Rockets' final cut for 2024-25.

On the other hand, you should be familiar with Hinton and Samuels. They've been on the cusp of joining the Rockets for years. Still, you should not have been expecting them to join the main roster either. It was never going to happen.

We wish them the best. Making an NBA roster is exceedingly difficult, but all three of these guys should have long careers in basketball ahead - in the NBA or elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have to make decisions about two guys who are projected to be in the NBA for a while. There's even hope that each will make multiple All-Star performances.

Will they do it on the Rockets?

Rockets not expected to extend Green, Sengun

This has been a source of speculation throughout the entire summer. Now, the speculation can end. The Rockets are not expected to extend Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun yet.

Sengun fans will be indignant. They will have a point. Sengun has out-performed plenty of his draft classmates who've received lucrative extensions.

Yet, the Rockets are savvy to preserve his cap hold for next summer. This is a simple matter of business. The organization has no incentive to pay Sengun before it's necessary. He'll hit Restricted Free Agency next summer, and barring any shocking developments, the Rockets will match any offer he receives.

Green has more to prove. He has not earned anything resembling a max extension. Yet, there is optimism surrounding his 2024-25 season. There's a feeling that Green is ready to make good on his endless potential.

Luckily, we don't have to wait long to find out.