NBA: 2020-21 Houston Rockets roster
The Rockets enter the 2020-21 NBA season needing to make every roster spot count. After the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood in the 2020 offseason, Houston is subject to a hard salary cap at the luxury tax “apron” level of $138.9 million, which they cannot exceed under any circumstances.
Complicating matters further, the previously non-guaranteed salary owed to second-year guard Chris Clemons became fully guaranteed once he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the preseason. As a result, first-year Rockets GM Rafael Stone will have an intricate dance to perform in the upcoming season to manage the payroll of Houston’s roster.
That’s all if the Rockets stay the course, though. With franchise icon James Harden having requested a trade in the offseason, Houston could potentially find itself with plenty of room beneath the hard cap, if they shed his team-leading salary of $41.3 million. But at the moment, Stone and the Rockets have suggested that they’re willing to push forward with Harden and delay any trade until the proposals are to their liking.
Led by Harden, here’s how the 2020-21 roster currently stacks up.
Rockets will also convert Brodric Thomas to a two-way deal per Feigen in his report.
With Gerald Green waived, DeMarcus Cousins is all but set to make the roster.
Houston will enter the season just $1.1M below the apron and are currently $5.2M over the tax for a $7.9M payment. https://t.co/vp9MEHFVv1 pic.twitter.com/BTY4ux8dHg
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) December 19, 2020
(Editor’s note: Salary figures are from the HoopsHype database, while NBA experience, statistics, and personal data are from NBA.com.)
Guard: James Harden
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 31 Size: 6-5, 220 lbs. NBA experience: 11 years; eight All-Star selections, 2017-18 MVP 2019-20 statistics: 34.3 points, 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $41.3 million
Guard: John Wall
Mike Wyke/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Age: 30 Size: 6-3, 210 lbs. NBA experience: 9 years; five All-Star selections 2019-20 statistics: DNP due to Achilles injury rehabilitation 2020-21 salary: $41.3 million
Guard: Eric Gordon
Mike Wyke/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Age: 32 Size: 6-3, 215 lbs. NBA experience: 12 years 2019-20 statistics: 14.4 points, 2.0 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $16.9 million
Center: Christian Wood
Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 25 Size: 6-10, 214 lbs. NBA experience: 4 years 2019-20 statistics: 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $13.0 million
Forward: PJ Tucker
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Age: 35 Size: 6-5, 245 lbs. NBA experience: 9 years 2019-20 statistics: 6.9 points, 6.6 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $8.0 million
Forward: Danuel House Jr.
Mike Wyke/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Age: 27 Size: 6-6, 220 lbs. NBA experience: 4 years 2019-20 statistics: 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $3.7 million
Center: DeMarcus Cousins
Mike Wyke/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Age: 30 Size: 6-10, 270 lbs. NBA experience: 9 years; four All-Star selections 2019-20 statistics: DNP due to ACL tear rehabilitation 2020-21 salary: $2.3 million
Guard: Ben McLemore
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 27 Size: 6-3, 195 lbs. NBA experience: 7 years 2019-20 statistics: 10.1 points, 2.2 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $2.3 million
Forward: Bruno Caboclo
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 25 Size: 6-9, 218 lbs. NBA experience: 6 years 2019-20 statistics: 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $2.0 million
Guard or Forward: David Nwaba
Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 27 Size: 6-5, 219 lbs. NBA experience: 4 years 2019-20 statistics: 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $1.8 million
Guard or Forward: Sterling Brown
Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 25 Size: 6-5, 219 lbs. NBA experience: 3 years 2019-20 statistics: 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $1.7 million
Guard: Chris Clemons
Photo by Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 23 Size: 5-9, 180 lbs. NBA experience: 1 year 2019-20 statistics: 4.9 points, 0.9 rebounds per game 2020-21 salary: $1.5 million (injured, out for season)
Forward: Jae'Sean Tate
Mike Wyke/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Age: 25 Size: 6-4, 230 lbs. NBA experience: Rookie 2019-20 statistics: N/A 2020-21 salary: $1.4 million
Forward: KJ Martin
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Age: 19 Size: 6-6, 215 lbs. NBA experience: Rookie 2019-20 statistics: N/A 2020-21 salary: $900,000
Guard: Brodric Thomas
Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 19 Size: 6-5, 185 lbs. NBA experience: Rookie 2019-20 statistics: N/A 2020-21 salary: Two-Way contract
Guard: Mason Jones
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 22 Size: 6-4, 200 lbs. NBA experience: Rookie 2019-20 statistics: N/A 2020-21 salary: Two-Way contract
