Pessimism Growing Regarding Likelihood of Rockets Being Active on Buyout Market

The NBA postseason is nearing. There's only a month left of the regular season. Well, a little over a month left.

Six weeks, to be exact. The last game of the regular season is April 12.

Which means, time is running out for teams to add roster reinforcements. The trade deadline was an uneventful one for the Houston Rockets, although there was a record amount of transactions and/or activity.

Yet and still, the team lacks a point guard. Well, they have one, in theory, in Reed Sheppard. He just had 19 points and 10 assists against the Washington Wizards.

But the Rockets don't view him as a point guard. Instead they seem more comfortable employing him as an off guard, which is a role that he's thrived in. Although he's clearly capable of excelling at the point, as well.

If the Rockets are going to add an external presence, the buyout market will present their final opportunity to land one. Not just at the point guard spot, however.

Houston could use another big man, also. Steven Adams isn't coming back. At least, not this season.

Next season, he may also not be the same player. Clint Capela has been serviceable, but he's also 31-years-old and in his 12th season.

So, the Rockets could stand to add an improvement at several different positions. And the buyout is their final hope. But pump the brakes on putting your hope and faith in Houston landing a key player in the buyout market.

At least, Michael Shapiro of chron.com thinks you should.

"I will be pretty surprised if the Rockets ended up adding a guy through the buyout market. I kind of think their internal guys with JD Davison and Isaiah Crawford will be their end of bench guys by the end of the year, I kinda think it’s just the dearth of actual options.

We didn’t see Khris Middleton go anywhere. Tyus Jones is a guy who I think a lot of people in the NBA have liked for a long time. He went to Denver, he won’t be in Houston. It doesn’t seem like Lonzo Ball is healthy enough. The Boucher one makes sense.

I just kinda think that the Rockets could use a true rim runner but I don’t know if Chris Boucher is healthy enough, impactful enough."

Chris Boucher is an interesting name to mention. He's also older than Capela.

He didn't look great this season, but looked quite serviceable last season, posting averages of 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, 49.2 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from deep (on 3.9 attempts) and 58.6 percent effective shooting.

We'll have to see if Houston chooses to explore the buyout market.