Current Roster
PG: Patrick Beverly/Isaiah Taylor
SG: James Harden/Eric Gordon/Lou Williams
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: Ryan Anderson/Sam Dekker/Kyle Wiltjer
C: Clint Capela/Montrezl Harrell/Chinanu Onuaku
2017 Free Agents
Unrestricted
C Nene
Restricted
F Troy Williams
G Bobby Brown
Who They Drafted
2-43 Isaiah Hartenstein, C Zalgiris
The Rockets were without a first round pick, but were able to acquire a first round talent in the second round, due to a ref flagged back issue that caused him to drop. Provided he can remain healthy, Hartenstein is a skilled big man with great size that projects to be an effective offensive weapon, provided he can harness the flashes of skill he shows. He's shown a jumper at times and is a skilled and agile scorer in the paint with good hands and footwork, though again he needs polish. Hartenstein's most exciting skill is his passing, he has great vision and will throw some wonderful passes, even he gets a little wild at times. Hartenstein is often compared to Nikola Jokic (and not just for ethnic reasons) and while that might overstate his skill a little bit, if it all comes together Hartenstein could be a similar player, though perhaps not as good. One way Hartenstein could surpass Jokic is as a defensive player, though he is still raw his size and length could be a weapon defending the rim. Hartenstein is a ways away and will likely be stashed in Europe, but he could really develop into something with time and even if he isn't in the Rockets future, Hartenstein could be a valuable trade chip.
What They Need Going Forward
The Rockets have a pretty complete team and not much cap room to use, however they are reportedly pursuing Chris Paul, which would likely mean they have to trade Ryan Anderson and Patrick Beverley to clear the room, a package that might be hard to deal but could also have some potential takers. Even if they don't get Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap, or Gordon Heyward could all be surprise targets that would make a lot of sense for them to go after, however long of shots they might be.
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