Houston Rockets Rumours: Kevin Love linked with blockbuster trade, Clint Capela could leave and more
Despite lofty expectations upon entering the season, the Houston Rockets once again fell short in their quest to win an NBA Championship. Mike D'Antoni's men succumbed to a 4-2 series defeat to Golden State in the Western Conference semi-finals and many are speculating which route forward they will now take.
A large portion of their coaching staff has already been fired, while a number of the existing roster are being linked with departures. So as we head towards the offseason, here are all the latest Rockets rumours you need to know...
Clint Capela could be among the major departures
Houston hoped that Clint Capela would develop into their third star this season, although the Swiss center endured an inconsistent year. Capela recorded regular season career highs in points (16.6) and rebounds (12.7), however, he struggled during the playoffs - averaging just 9.7 points per game.
Capela was notably dominated by Draymond Green during the Rockets elimination to the Warriors and due to limited cap space, Forbes is reporting that he could be offloaded this summer:
The dilemma is that Capela will earn a base salary of $14.9 million next year, an extremely cap friendly contract for a player with his aggregate production. He’s also been dominant in particularly important matchups. This is to say that in normal circumstances, Capela would be considered close to untouchable as a partner for James Harden.
But the Rockets have very few other avenues through which to improve. The team will have its taxpayer mid-level exception and Eric Gordon's expiring contract, but no other tradable assets. In a perfect world, Houston could hold on to Capela and just not rely upon him again in a Warriors matchup. But as the Rockets desperately need viable bodies for that inevitable matchup, in the modern salary cap era, Capela just may be a luxury management cannot afford.