Dorian Finney-Smith Could be the 2025 Version of Luc Mbah a Moute for the Rockets

The Houston Rockets have been the talk of the offseason. The Rockets have been the busiest team in the NBA since the season ended with a Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets have extended Ime Udoka, signed Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet to new contracts, and also extended Jabari Smith.

Oh, and the Rockets made the most significant trade of the offseason as well, as they traded for Future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. All of these moves happen before the free agent period even begins. Once the free agent hold period lifted on Monday at 5 CT, the Rockets continued their onslaught of the offseason by signing both Dorrian Finney-Smith and the big surprise of the Rockets' offseason, Clint Capela, who started his career with the Rockets playing in the G League.

The Finney-Smith signing is exciting for several reasons. One Smith is the perfect replacement for what the Rockets lost when they traded Dillon Brooks. Secondly, Finney-Smith's game brings to mind a former Rocket who was part of one of the best teams in franchise history, Luc Mbah a Moute.

Mbah a Moute signed as a free agent before the 2017-18 season at the age of 30. Mbah a Moute brought the Rockets a three-and-D wing who could help with their switching defense as they geared up to try and finally take down the Golden State Warriors.

Mbah a Moute was having one of the best seasons of his career and, at times, was a starter for the Rockets before suffering a back injury right before the 2018 playoffs that effectively took him out of the Rockets' rotation.

Mbah a Moute was never the same after that, but he showed what an elite three-and-D wing can do for a team. Fast forward seven years, and now the Rockets are bringing in Finney-Smith, hoping he can replicate the same success they have with Mbah a Moute.

Finney-Smith joins a Rocket team that already had an elite defense last season. With another year of experience for Amen Thompson and the addition of Finney-Smith, the Rockets' defense may be even better than it was last season.

Only time will tell how all of the moves the Rockets have completed this offseason will pay off but one thing is for sure the Rockets are going all in for a championship in 2025-26.