Before NBA free agency officially got underway on Friday afternoon, the Houston Rockets were armed with a ton of cap space and were willing to go after some of the biggest names on the open market.
The Rockets were linked to a few notable free agents like Austin Reaves, Brook Lopez, Dillon Brooks, and Fred VanVleet, to name a few.
Ultimately, the Rockets were unable to land Reaves and Lopez, but they did bring in VanVleet yesterday and signed Brooks on the second day of free agency, but both came at an incredibly high price.
Although VanVleet was expected to cash in during free agency, he did just that by signing for $130 million; Brooks was the shocker on Saturday, with Houston inking him to a deal worth $80 million via SportsCenter.
Rockets have spent some serious money to start off free agency 😳 pic.twitter.com/n0NE6Jy8Dk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2023
There’s no doubt that VanVleet is a primetime player, as he became one of the best point guards in the game with the Toronto Raptors and helped them win a title a few years ago.
Brooks, however, is coming off a forgettable playoff performance in which he made a spectacle of himself against the Los Angeles Lakers by going at LeBron James on and off the court.
With the Memphis Grizzlies letting it be known that they would not be entertaining re-signing him this summer, Brooks’ future in the league was very much in doubt, as some believed he’d have to settle for a much smaller contract than he expected.
Fortunately for him, the Rockets were buyers in free agency and were comfortable committing $80 million to the controversial forward, which they may regret.
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NBA World Reacts To Fred VanVleet’s Huge Payday