ONE SURE THING
Morey’s handiwork as general manager ensures Rockets stay on even keel, move forward on the personnel front
Last week provided NBA followers more drama than the playoffs did. Acquisitions, trades, the 2017 draft.
The Bulls sending Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves was the first major move of the summer.
But with rumors surrounding a handful of the league’s biggest names — Chris Paul, Paul George, DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and others — there is more coming. Probably a lot more. And there is no doubt Rockets general manager Daryl Morey will be one of the players in the chess game of free agency this summer.
Morey constantly considers every option for the Rockets. It’s what has made him one of the NBA’s more entertaining general managers over the past several years.
In the midst of prepping for the draft and making calls and doing research on every option available, Morey signed a four-year extension with the Rockets.
It was one of the smartest moves the Rockets have made in years. Innovative basketball mind
“Daryl has consistently proven to be one of the top minds and innovators in our league,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said. “I’m thrilled to continue to work with Daryl towards our pursuit of winning another championship for the Rockets, the city of Houston and our fans all over the world.”
The Rockets made giant strides forward last season. It’s easy to remember only the ending.
The season concluded with a dud of a game and one of the worst performances James Harden has had in the league, but you can’t ignore everything that happened before.
The Rockets were easily one of the most intriguing teams in the NBA. Morey is a big reason for that. Last summer, the Rockets extended Harden’s contract.
Then Morey went out and filled in the holes around Harden. You can’t argue with the results. Eric Gordon strengthened the backcourt. Ryan Anderson made the team more versatile. Nene added experience and physicality. And Mike D’Antoni made it all work.
With the way everything worked out this past season based on last summer’s moves, the intrigue surrounding what Morey will do next is at an all-time high. He makes sure the Rockets are always in the mix.
Every big name who hits the market is a potential target for Morey. And the Rockets’ sales pitch to bring any player in is better than ever. Wins will do that. A premier player such as Harden — an oh-so-close MVP two of the past three seasons — will do that.
And a general manager, coach and owner with vision will do that.
By extending Morey, team leadership has committed to that vision.
While Morey was being extended, David Griffin and the Cavaliers were parting ways. Just days after Cleveland competed in its third consecutive NBA Finals, the team went looking for a new general manager.
And it doesn’t appear as if Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is pleased with the situation.
He wrote a heartfelt, sincere thank-you to Griffin on social media, which prompted rumors about the fate of James next year.
Stability for a team — one that is winning and improving — is important.
The Cavaliers are going to be interesting without Griffin, especially if they end up with Chauncey Billups — who has no experience in a front office — leading the way as president of basketball operations.
Multiple reports say Billups is weighing the offer.
The Rockets will be interesting for different reasons.
The Rockets are appealing because Morey, who has consistently made moves that turn heads, is here.
Those moves have made the Rockets better. Building around Harden
He brought in Harden. He got Dwight Howard, who didn’t work out in the long term, but it was a move that helped the Rockets reach the Western Conference finals two seasons ago.
That same year, he made in-season trades for Josh Smith and Corey Brewer, both of whom made massive impacts in the postseason.
Last summer, he took a team with one key piece and built around him, making it a scoring machine.
This summer, he likely will do something. And we will all be watching closely.
“It’s a daunting challenge we face, chasing the trophy with Golden State,” Morey said. “But I’m very excited to take on the challenge. I love that we have such a strong group signed for a long time and coach D’Antoni and James Harden, and across our roster we have guys signed into the future that we think can really improve and help us chase that championship trophy.”
The next few weeks will be filled with drama as the look of the NBA changes. Teams will look different. Players will find new homes. There will be uncertainty and confusion.
And the Rockets will in the midst of all the excitement.
Now that they’ve committed to Morey, they’ll stay there a while.