The O.C. – What next for the Rockets?

So the Houston Rockets were the victors in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes – of course nothing can be confirmed until July 10th. But now what? While the Rockets may have sold Howard the capabilities of the current roster to win a championship, there’s still a lot of work to be done before D12 and co. make a move for their chip.

Let’s look at what the Rockets may need to do to make themselves the contenders they sold Howard:

• Cap space

It appears to have become ‘fact’ to the common fan that the Rockets are capable of signing Howard outright, but technically that’s still not the case. Houston are close, but to clear the $20.5m needed to sign Howard under the cap, the Rockets would have to waive to contracts of guard James Anderson and center Tim Ohlbrecht before trading one of their three second-year power forwards.

Of course, Houston could hang to these cheap commodities if they are able to facilitate a sign-and-trade.

• Howard sign-and-trade

Now that Howard has confirmed to all suitors that he will be signing with the Rockets, general manager Daryl Morey had a phone-call to make to his counterpart Mitch Kupchak. Morey’s first question is whether the Lakers have any interest in a sign-and-trade involving Howard. Under the current CBA, Hoard would make the same amount from his max contract either way.

But if the Lakers have any interested in Houston’s two moveable parts, Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, the Rockets could send both players to LaLa in return. The trade seems unlikely however due to the Lakers’ goal of keeping their cap room clear for the summer of LeBron (2014). If a sign-and-trade cannot be reached with the Lakers, Daryl Morey will have to look elsewhere.

• Trade Lin and Asik

Asik and Lin were the Rockets marquee signings in last year’s free agency. A year removed, both players look expendable. Lin’s main ability, to create in the pick and roll, was overshadowed and rendered useless by the addition of star James Harden. While Asik being demoted to the bench with the addition off Howard is a position for which he is highly overqualified.

If the Rockets can convince teams to take on the extra salary owed both players because of their laughably overpaid deals, which will pay them $15m in the 2014-15 season, it would allow them to take a run at their next target Rajon Rondo.

• Who Plays with Howard?

As already indicated, reports have surfaced that were the Rockets to clear enough cap-space they’d look to make a move for unsettled Celtics’ point guard Rajon Rondo. The Rockets would have to clear all manners of players and salaries to facilitate such a deal. But the addition of Rondo would bring a true ‘big three’ to Houston to enable them to rival the Thunder in the west.

The Power forward position is possibly the Rockets least talented position. They traded both start Patrick Patterson and backup Marcus Morris ahead of the trade deadline and used a rotation of Smith and Jones. The addition of D12 makes it clear that Houston are in need of a stretch four, a dangerous 3-point shooter whose defensive limitations are mitigated by Howard’s presence. Ironically Patterson fits this description perfectly.

If the Rockets can clear the $16.6m Asik and Lin count against the cap – either I a sign or trade or deals with teams with cap room – that would allow them to free up enough room to make an offer to either Josh Smith or Paul Millsap, whom both ranked in the top five of my top fifteen free-agents.

Neither Smith nor Millsap are the prototypical stretch 4 we talked about, but both poses the ability to play away from the basket. Millsap shot 42.4% from 16 to 23 feet last season, per NBA.com/stats. As much maligned as Smith’s tendency to jack up three’s is he shot it at 45.5% last season.

Pairing Asik and Howard would be an intriguing prospect, two true stoppers akin to the success the Rockets had late in the regular season. However, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com has reported that Asik does not want to play with Howard and would like to be traded.

Once the Rockets figure out their situation at power forward and make a decision on whether to pursue Rondo or not, they’ll then focus their attention on surrounding Howard with 3-point sharp shooters. The real question then is, are the Rockets contenders?

• How good will the Rockets be?

Of course, this largely depends on how the Rockets answer the other points here. But early indications are that adding Howard to a rising core of young players and a genuine Superstar in James Harden.

My first projection would put the Rockets in between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. With the Clippers and Golden State Warriors also loading up and the Memphis Grizzlies still in the picture, the West will be top-heavy next season. Now with Howard in the fold, Houston will be right in the mix for a Conference Finals place and a return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.

Make sure you let me know in the comments below or via Twitter as to what happens with the Rockets from here on out.