Three Free Agents the Rockets can Sign to Fill Out Roster

The Houston Rockets have had a busy offseason, adding Kevin Durant, retaining veterans Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, extending head coach Ime Udoka and more. After all that movement, there's still one opening for a standard contract roster spot.

If this year's playoffs proved anything, it's that a deep bench is the key to playoff success – see Oklahoma City's 12th man Ajay Mitchell contributing key minutes in an NBA Finals game. If the Rockets want to make a deep playoff run in similar fashion, they'll need to make sure every member of the roster is capable of playing.

While many of the big-name free agents have already signed contracts, there's still many intriguing options left on the board for the Rockets to target.

A look into three veterans that could boost the Rockets' playoff success:

De'Anthony Melton

It may feel like Melton's been in the league for well over a decade, but the 6-foot-3 combo guard is still just 27 years old. He's coming off five straight seasons averaging at least nine points on 36 percent 3-point shooting, proving a reliable option from deep.

Melton's a scrappy defender and an underrated rebounder for his size, who's able to scale up against larger defenders more than other small guards. He's capable of playing both on and off the ball, making for an ideal veteran backcourt partner for Reed Sheppard.

The only worry with Melton is that he suffered a torn ACL in December of 2024. He's likely to be ready by the start of the season, but there's a chance he struggles to bounce back to the same player he was. Given his injury status, the Rockets can offer him a veteran minimum contract, for a low-risk high-reward scenario.

Amir Coffey

After the Rockets previously showed interest in veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard, Coffey seems like a logical alternative.

While the Clippers haven't had many young players contribute to their rotations of the Kawhi Leonard era, Coffey has quietly been one of their best development stories. He's coming off a career-best year, averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range.

He's a capable defender as well, making him one of the top 3&D players left on the market. Adding Coffey to a bench young bench unit would provide some needed spacing, volume shooting and playoff experience.

Alec Burks

Burks has the more experience than Melton and Coffey combined, as he'll be entering his 15th season should he sign with a team. He's played in 29 career playoff games between the Jazz, Knicks, 76ers and Heat, and averaged 10.9 points while shooting 36.6 percent from 3-point range.

His experience can go a long way for a team trying to make a push for a championship with it's new core, as veterans like Jeff Green and Steven Adams have already made major differences within the locker room.

Burks ability to operate as either the point guard or the shooting guard provides nice flexibility in the backcourt rotation, as he can be either a steady presence or a spark plug. Burks' days of giving opponents 20 points are likely behind him, but he's a surefire veteran who knows how to play his role successfully.