As a part of our series detailing which players the Charlotte Hornets should target in NBA free agency, our attention shifts to the Houston Rockets. Houston finished with the worst record in the NBA this season, but that is to be expected when a team starts such a young core of players.
Because the Rockets have so many young pieces revolving around their core, there are not too many players hitting free agency in 2022 for the Hornets to look at. Key players like Kevin Porter, Jalen Green, and Christian Wood are all under contract with the Rockets for a little while longer.
In fact, the Rockets’ only player hitting the unrestricted free agent market is Dennis Schroder. John Wall has a player option that he would be foolish to turn down, Jae’Sean Tate is entering free agency with a team-option for 2022-23, and Bruno Fernando, Anthony Lamb, and Trevelin Queen are all restricted free agents.
It would be nice to acquire Tate, who can play either forward position, but the Rockets will likely match any offer he is given. Because Schroder is the only realistic option for the Hornets to go after, this will be a relatively shorter dive into a team’s roster.
How would Schroder fit with the Hornets? He would fit decently well. With uncertainty surrounding Isaiah Thomas‘ return to Charlotte, Schroder could fill a similar role to IT. As a backup point guard playing sub-20 minutes per game, Schroder could orchestrate the second unit’s offense. The only downside would be his defensive liability, which is one thing the Hornets are trying to shore up this offseason.
Overall, I don’t foresee any current Rockets becoming future Hornets via free agency this offseason. Wall is almost certainly going to be traded at some point in the next calendar year, but he is not going to be heading to Charlotte.
Other than that, Schroder would be the only name worth pursuing, and he would not necessarily be the best fit for Charlotte. Although he could provide minutes as a backup point guard, the Hornets can probably find a younger (and cheaper) option.