Rockets Acquire Present, Future Point Guards in Offseason

On Friday, the Houston Rockets made the biggest splash of free agency thus far, signing former Raptor Fred VanVleet to a new 3-year, $130 million deal, cementing him as their point guard of the present.

With close to $60 million in cap space, the move was a no-brainer for many, as free agents were signing left and right quickly yesterday. Houston landed the top player on the market, albeit at an overpay.

But for some, despite landing a former All-Star, the move raised more questions than answers, as the team already draft its point guard of the future in last Thursday’s draft with Amen Thompson going fourth overall.

Of course, landing top talent is never a bad thing. But in order for Thompson to both thrive and develop into the team’s lead guard of the future, he’s going to need necessary on-ball minutes. Ones that could be stunted with the addition of VanVleet.

But if the organization is cognizant of Thompson’s development, VanVleet’s presence could be a real positive.

Veteran leadership has been much-needed in Houston of late, and VanVleet provides that and then some. He also has the ability to play off-ball, providing his stingy defense and shot-making prowess. The 29-year-old will likely be the team’s starting point guard for some time, helping to ease Thompson into the role without throwing him into the fire as many prospects are.

Thompson, with all-world athleticism and stout perimeter defense of his own, should be able to fill an off-ball role himself at times. But in order to reach his ceiling, he’ll certainly need the ball in-hands.

Now, Rockets fans will wait with bated breath to see Thompson in action in Summer League. The 2023 NBA Summer League runs from July 7 through July 17. Each team will play at least five games in Las Vegas.

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