It is difficult to get a 5 million contract? The Rockets 3-controlled team may be difficult to stay! Give up to the 20-year-old defender and streamline the lineup

It seems that the Rockets have many young players and rookies, and many of them are holding rookie contracts, so for the Rockets, they are still taking advantage of rookie bonuses. Two or three years later, the Rockets' rookie bonus will probably no longer exist, because this summer, the Rockets will decide whether to renew their contracts with two 2022 forwards Ethan and Jabbarry Smith Jr. Moreover, next summer, the Rockets will renew their contracts in advance, Whitmore and Amen Thompson, two rookies in 2023, and also consider whether to keep Shepard, the Tanhua Show this season.

If the Rockets want to keep these newcomers in the next few years, the salary space will be further tightened. Considering that Van Vreet's contract will still be as high as 45 million next season, while Shin Kyung and Jaylen Green will have an annual salary of about 70 million, the Rockets do not have much ability to introduce new free agents in the offseason.

More importantly, if the Rockets intend to chase superstars, they need to free up more salary space to maintain the flexibility of the lineup. Therefore, the Rockets should clean up some players that can be cleaned up, because salary flexibility is too important for the Rockets.

The Rockets management has always had a tradition of not paying luxury taxes. From his boss Alexander to his boss Fertitta today, they are all stingy or conservative. They are not willing to pay high luxury taxes for the championship like some other teams. The Rockets are now focused on stability, and they do not see the hope of the championship, and they will never pay luxury taxes. This can be said to be the shrewdness of the Rockets boss or stingy. Therefore, the Rockets have always been in a position where they are not as good as the top and the bottom, and have not won the championship for many years.

If the Rockets want to clear their salary space this summer, players such as Jennersen Williams and Landal may be directly cut because their contracts are non-guaranteed next season. Williams will have an annual salary of 2 million next season, while Langdale will have an annual salary of 8 million next season.

In addition, some players with team options may be difficult to stay: Van Vreet may have to cut his salary and sign the Rockets again; and 28-year-old shooter Aaron Holiday signed a two-year 10 million contract with the Rockets last summer. Now the first year of guaranteed contract has been executed, and the Rockets can choose whether to execute his 5 million team option next season. Currently, the Rockets have two young players, Whitmore and Shepard, in order to free up more salary space, the Rockets may find it difficult to keep third point guard Aaron Holiday.

In this way, the Rockets can free up 5 million salary space to maintain flexibility, and there is also a choice for the third point guard, namely 20-year-old guard Shepard. Next season, the Rockets' main point guard is Van Vreett, the second point guard is Amen Thompson, and Shepard can play the role of Holiday this season. Of course, if Amen Thompson plays power forward, Shepard is entirely likely to become Van Vreet's first substitute and may get 15-20 minutes of playing time per game next season.

In fact, giving up the execution of Holiday's contract can not only free up salary space, streamline the lineup, but also give up the 20-year-old Shepard and allow him to grow quickly. This can be said to be a good plan.