Houston Rockets' Latest Moves Open Possibility of Adding to Roster

The Houston Rockets have taken on the offseason from the time the buzzer sounded in their Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets have been the busiest team this offseason, with several signings, a blockbuster trade, and even an extension for Ime Udoka, which made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA.

The Rockets moved on to the next phase of the offseason, having played two games in Vegas and gone 0-2 in those games. The big draw for most Rockets fans in the Summer League was watching Reed Sheppard try to improve on his at times disappointing rookie season. Rockets on SI asked Stone if the Rockets planned on bringing in another guard to help fill the void left by trading Jalen Green in the Kevin Durant deal, and Stone said he doubts they will make any more moves.

As of this writing, the Rockets' guard rotation consists of Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday. That means Sheppard is expected to become the Rockets' backup point guard and play a much bigger role in his second season. In the first two summer league games, Sheppard has had his ups and downs.

Sheppard finished with 28 points in the Rockets' first game of Summer League, and even though it wasn't as efficient as Sheppard may have wanted, it was a good overall game where Sheppard showed off playmaking skills and good defense.

The Rockets played again Sunday, this time against the Detroit Pistons. Sheppard struggled for most of the Rockets' loss to the Pistons, where he struggled with turnovers and staying in front of his man on defense. The up-and-down performance of Sheppard may lead the Rockets to revisit adding guard depth to the team.

Stone mentioned before the Summer League that the reason the Rockets would probably not make any moves is that they were close to the first tax apron. That changed early Sunday as the Rockets released Nate Williams and signed Cam Matthews. The release of Williams could make it possible for the Rockets to sign another player to the veteran minimum if they make Williams' contract a two-way deal instead of a standard contract.

The Rockets are about $3.5 million under the first apron and would only have 13 players under contract. As the offseason progresses into August and September, the likelihood of signing players to the veteran minimum increases, as teams around the league have fewer openings, resulting in fewer opportunities for free agents.

With how the Summer League has played out so far, the Rockets may be more inclined to bring in another veteran guard to help Sheppard, especially considering they are seen as a championship contender this coming season.