The Houston Rockets toyed with major moves this offseason. The team was eyeing an upgrade over Trevor Ariza in hopes of placing another All-Star alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden. They attempted to acquire LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, but efforts failed and instead the re-signed in-house talent to take care of needs. However, they did make the addition of Ty Lawson who is ready to compete for the starting point guard spot alongside Patrick Beverley.
Lawson's role on the Rockets is not yet totally known. The point guard was a starter in Denver, but now the Rockets have Beverley who is capable of the role which might push Lawson to the bench. According to the Houston Chronicle, Lawson's role will likely be that of a Sixth Man coming in as another playmaker to give someone like Harden rest and the veteran told the media that he is perfectly fine with that.
"Oh yeah for sure," Lawson said, via FOX News 26. "I was like before I even came to the team I was talking to James. I was like 'man get me over there.' I'll be that piece to (help) get over the hump. It's definitely a breath of fresh air. I feel like last year watching the playoffs, they definitely need another playmaker. You could tell James got a little bit tired. He had to come down and score and make passes every time on the court. So I just want to relieve a little bit of pressure for him the best way I can."
The Rockets may or may not be totally done making moves yet with their roster as one player in the league is expressing interest in joining the team. According to John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports, Markieff Morris is demanding a trade from the Phoenix Suns and likes the idea of signing with the Houston Rockets. Morris has made it very clear he no longer intends to play for the Suns, but so far no team has expressed interest in acquiring him. If the Rockets were to suddenly seek a trade, they would likely have to give up someone like Terrance Jones along with someone else to make the deal work. Of course with Daryl Morey the idea cannot be ruled out, but so far Houston has made no moves towards the idea.
All signs point to the Rockets staying put with their current roster at hand. The next big issue for the team will be to re-sign Dwight Howard, who can opt out of his contract next season. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Howard is eyeing free agency in 2016 in order to capitalize on the increasing salary caps. It is unclear whether that means he intends to stay in Houston or head elsewhere, but at almost 30, Howard is looking to get paid now.
