Don t worry, the Rockets have new options for strengthening the backcourt, CJ McCollum may be able to join the franchise at a minimum salary

After the Rockets traded Durant, the team's next move was very eye-catching. Although Jaylen Green's scoring efficiency was not excellent last season, his departure still weakened the Rockets' scoring points in the backcourt. So from the beginning of the Durant trade, the media has been looking for a backcourt player to strengthen the lineup.

Regarding this question, the reporter also asked Durant when facing Durant whether he had any plans to recruit his former teammate Westbrook to the Rockets. Although Durant did not refuse on the surface, he still politely stated that it was just the beginning and it was still a long time.

In fact, what Durant said is not false. If the Rockets use their salary to sign up, even if a full middle-class contract this summer will be the only choice of players such as Trent, Alexander Walker, Leville, and Russell in the free agent market, it may not meet the team's expectations for backcourt reinforcement. If the team uses the young players and future resources to strengthen it, it will inevitably give some bargaining chips. Neither of these plans is the result the team wants to see.

And during this offseason, many star players left the team one after another, which may give the Rockets a chance. For example, in a deal that the league has just reached, there are players who are perfectly suitable for the Rockets lineup. Not long ago, the Wizards and the Pelicans reached a deal, and the Wizards sent Jordan Poole and got Pelicans starting guard CJ McCollum.

Obviously, for the Wizards, changing Poole to McCollum will not essentially improve the team's strength. At the same time, as the team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Wizards will have only two tasks next season, training young players in the team and winning the No. 1 pick. If nothing unexpected happens, the three main focus of the team are Saar, Kulibali and Carrington. CJ McCollum's role is somewhat similar to the position Eric Gordon was in when the Rockets were just rebuilt.

However, CJ McCollum is not like Gordon's long-term relationship. After seeing this situation in the Wizards, he is likely to apply for a deal, because the 33-year-old CJ McCollum contract will expire after the end of next season. He needs to prove himself with his performance in order to get the last long contract of his career.

In this case, it is possible to reach a buyout agreement between the two parties. After the buyout, CJ McCollum will be the target of several teams in the league. After all, CJ McCollum averaged 21.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the Pelicans last season, with a shooting percentage of 44.4% and a three-point shooting percentage of 37.3%.

Such a strong backcourt scorer who can get at a very small price is the perfect answer to strengthening the Rockets' lineup. Perhaps some people may ask why CJ chose the Rockets, mainly because of its complementarity with the lineup and the influence brought by Durant's joining. Who would refuse to join a team that can have a certain playing time and has a high chance of winning the championship?

If it were 2 years ago, such an idea would definitely not become a reality. Even though the Rockets had nearly $90 million in cap space at that time, it was quite unsatisfactory to sign players in the free agent market because the team's record was at the bottom of the league. In desperation, they could only sign players such as VanVleet, Dillon Brooks at a high price using a contract that exceeded the market price.

In contrast, the Rockets have the second place in the Western Conference last year's regular season record and have won Durant's super big league in the offseason. The team's influence and lineup attractiveness are completely different from two years ago. The team even needs to be more patient in case that when the target players appear in the buyout player market, there will be no quota or position in the team. After all, the Rockets may not even dare to think about it if they can get good things like CJ McCollum and Bradley Bill with a veteran contract. Do you think the Rockets can finally find big fish in the buyout player market? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!