3. Tilman Fertitta Saves Some Money
One of the things that have held the Houston Rockets back from truly breaking through as contenders is their owner, Tilman Fertitta. His unwillingness to go into the luxury tax has kept the Rockets from reaching the level of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers or Milwaukee Bucks, who have ownerships willing to pay if it means putting a championship-caliber product on the court.
The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted business owners around the world and Fertitta made a lot of his fortune through the restaurant and casino businesses. Those are two businesses that have been hit hard, so, understandably, he would want to cut some costs.
Fertitta was reportedly hellbent on cutting salary before the 2020-21 season. The loss of revenue and projected losses from the pandemic played a part. However, this goes back to before the pandemic even began.
The Rockets have never paid the luxury tax with Fertitta as owner. In 2018, starting small forward Trevor Ariza walked in free agency after the team fell one game short of the NBA Finals. The following trade deadline, a first-round pick was attached to Brandon Knight to move his contract.
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Fertitta would certainly love to save some money on John Wall’s contract and spread it out over five years. With how he played, Wall should be able to land a contract for more than the veteran’s minimum, meaning Houston could save more.
It would be a similar situation to what Kemba Walker just went through with the Oklahoma City Thunder before signing with the New York Knicks.