Former All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet and small forward Dillon Brooks are at the top of the Houston Rockets’ wish list, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Both VanVleet and Brooks become unrestricted free agents on June 30. The Rockets have over $60 million in cap space, the most in the NBA this summer.
“More and more as the official start of free agency draws near on Friday at 6 PM ET, league sources say they see Toronto’s Fred VanVleet and Memphis’ Dillon Brooks at the top of a Rockets wish list widely thought to be headlined by former Rockets All-Star James Harden,” Stein wrote.
VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Toronto Raptors this past season, while Brooks put up 14.3 points, 3.3 boards and 2.6 assists for the Memphis Grizzlies.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks & Houston Rockets Updates
VanVleet is not expected to re-sign with Toronto and most people around the NBA believe Brooks will sign with Houston.
“Sources say that the Raptors realize it will likely require an annual salary of at least $30 million (and possibly higher) to secure VanVleet’s return,” Stein wrote. “The Rockets, provided they miss out on James Harden, are said to be ready to go to such lengths to sign away one of the last on-court connections to Toronto’s title-winning team from 2018-19.
“The Rockets’ interest in Brooks, meanwhile, appears to be even more clear-cut, with one league source insisting Monday that Houston should be labeled as the favorite to sign the talkative swingman whose playoff struggles and the team tension they spawned swiftly prompted the Memphis Grizzlies to move on from him.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks & Houston Rockets Updates
The Rockets won only 22 games this past season. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2020. New head coach Ime Udoka wants to establish a defensive culture in Houston and signing Brooks would help that cause since the 27-year-old made the second-team All-Defensive Team this past season.
As for VanVleet, he’s a proven winner who can score and facilitate at a high level. Every team needs a stud point guard to compete in today’s NBA and VanVleet has established himself as one of the best players at his position.
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