Could Houston Rockets Add More Shooting With Free Agent Signing?

The Houston Rockets still have room to improve this offseason, should they choose to do so.

Last season, the Rockets posted a 41-41 record, good for the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference, after adding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks alongside their young core.

It's no secret Houston is trying to retain and develop their young core, but they're also eager to get back into the postseason for the first time since James Harden's departure. They can look to free agency to make another addition to their current win-now core while not departing from any young talents.

One player the Rockets can target is Gary Trent Jr., a player who fits the team's current mold quite well. The potential signing comes with just one issue -- the team has a current rotation of playable guards that runs four deep. VanVleet, Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson make for a strong backcourt, but Trent Jr. could add more playmaking a defense, though the Rockets would have to stretch their guard rotation and play small at times.

Now, the Rockets have a couple of options as to how they could try and make such a deal happen. They've got their mid-level exception and a bit of salary cap space to use or they could even use a sign-and-trade -- including a player like Jock Landale that would end up buried on the rotation -- to make the finances work.

The 25-year-old wing averaged 13.7 points per game with the Toronto Raptors, the lowest during his three-and-a-half seasons with the team. It could be time for him to move, and the Rockets pose an opportunity to play playoff basketball now while playing into the team's young core, fitting the mold of a two-timeline player.

Watching how Houston navigates the back half of free agency after a slow first week will be quite interesting.

READ MORE: Evaluating Rockets' Salary Cap Situation This Offseason

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