Rockets Should Target Veteran Swingman in Free Agency

The youthful Houston Rockets have exited their rebuilding phase following a 2024-2025 campaign that saw the team finish as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and push a savvy Golden State Warriors squad to seven games in the first round. The young duo of Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson seem to be cornerstones for the franchises future, along with whichever superstar the team acquires in the offseason.

In order to obtain a superstar like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston will have to part with key contributing role players, meaning rotational spots will be opening up for cheap veterans to take over. A perfect candidate to take over a bench role would be Bruce Brown, who's set to enter unrestricted free agency.

Brown served a key role on the Denver Nuggets 2023 championship squad, averaging 26.6 minutes and 12 points per game in the postseason. Following his impressive playoff run, Brown was priced out of Denver, and signed a two year, $45 million dollar contract with the Indiana Pacers beginning in the 2023-2024 season. He played 108 total games the following two seasons for the Pacers, Raptors and Pelicans – falling out of relevancy and contention.

Given his probable lack of market, the Rockets can bring in Brown for a cheap reclamation deal, similarly to recent examples of Malik Monk and Kelly Oubre Jr. Brown has ties to Houston as well, as he spent two seasons in Brooklyn during head coach Ime Udoka's time as an assistant, along with a season each in Brooklyn and Denver with Jeff Green, who recently expressed his desire to remain in Houston.

His ability to play positions one-through-five is something almost nobody in the league can say – the Thompson being one of those few. Brown could be a solid replacement for Thompson when the young star isn't on the court.

Offensively, Brown showed in Denver and Brooklyn that he can be an explosive roller and playmaker out of a pick-and-roll, despite standing at 6-foot-4. He's athletic, can run the floor and get out in transition, helping the Rockets keep an up-tempo fold within the offense. Brown also excelled playing off of Nikola Jokic's post gravity and court vision, who many have compared to Sengun.

Surrounding their young stars with players who maximize their talents should be a priority for Houston this offseason – and Brown does exactly that for Sengun, while serving as a viable backup to Thompson.