The Houston Rockets entered the NBA offseason looking to upgrade their roster to try and compete for a top seed in the Western Conference and make a run at a championship next season.
Houston is coming off a season in which the team finished fifth in the Western Conference standings with a 52-30 record, though they were unable to advance past the first round of the playoffs as they were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Of course, the Rockets had high expectations with Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson leading the way last season and after the disappointing end to their season, they will now try to bolster their roster this summer.
While the Rockets are looking to upgrade their roster this offseason, they are also reportedly trying to move one of their veteran players.
Rockets Looking to Offload Dorian Finney-Smith
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According to The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer, the Rockets are looking to offload veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason.
This is a massive report by Fischer, though it is not completely surprising, especially after Houston signed Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic to begin free agency.
Of course, the Rockets signed Finney-Smith to a four-year, $52.7 million contract in free agency last offseason to upgrade their depth at the forward position who was expected to have a large role.
Instead, the 33-year-old forward played only 37 games due to injuries and his production took a massive hit as he averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 27.0% from three.
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With his production declining last season, the Rockets are now looking to move Finney-Smith and offload his contract this summer to try and add more talent in free agency or open up space to retain restricted free agent Tari Eason.
While the Rockets are looking to move the veteran forward this offseason, it may be difficult for them to do due to his age, drop in production and hefty contract and they may have to include draft capital in a potential deal to entice another team.
Either way, it appears as though Finney-Smith’s time in Houston is nearing an end, though it remains to be seen whether another team is willing to take a chance on him potential returning to his normal self after a down season last year.
