We’ve summarized what Houston Rockets fans can expect from their squad in terms of salary cap space this offseason. Below you’ll find lists of the players expected back on the roster, the team’s potential free agents and a number of insights about questions the franchise will face before the 2021 campaign.
In addition to a summary for each of the 30 teams (accessible in the link grid below), we’ve also tiered the top NBA free agents league-wide and published a general comparison of all teams’ cap space. Follow @SLAMnewswire on Twitter for constant offseason updates as we head into free agency.
Projected Roster Players
| Chris Clemons | $1,517,981 | Non-Guaranteed |
| Robert Covington | $12,138,345 | Guaranteed |
| Eric Gordon | $16,869,276 | Guaranteed |
| James Harden | $41,254,920 | Guaranteed |
| Danuel House Jr. | $3,717,000 | Guaranteed |
| Ben McLemore | $2,283,034 | Non-Guaranteed |
| David Nwaba | $1,824,003 | UFA, TO |
| Austin Rivers | $2,436,046 | UFA, PO |
| P.J. Tucker | $7,969,537 | Guaranteed |
| Russell Westbrook | $41,358,814 | Guaranteed |
Projected Free Agents
| Tarik Black | $3,948,000 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Bruno Caboclo | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| DeMarre Carroll | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Tyson Chandler | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Trevon Duval | $1,445,697 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Vince Edwards | $1,445,697 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Kenneth Faried | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| Michael Frazier | $1,445,697 | Cap Hold – RFA, 2W |
| Jeff Green | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
| William Howard | $1,445,697 | Cap Hold – UFA, 2W |
| Thabo Sefolosha | $1,620,564 | Cap Hold – UFA |
Dead Money
| Troy Williams | $122,741 |
2020 NBA Draft Picks
| None | $0 |
Exceptions Available
- Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000
- Bi-Annual Exception – $3,623,000
Key Offseason Decisions
- How will being close to the luxury tax impact Houston keeping players? This comes into play most with Ben McLemore (non-guaranteed), David Nwaba (team option) and Chris Clemons (non-guaranteed). If the tax is an issue, expect at one or two of these players to be let go.
- Will Austin Rivers exercise his player option? Rivers could make more on the open market, but it won’t be much more. Rivers has also found a nice fit in Houston as a backup guard.
Projected Team Salary
$150,945,869
Houston has lots of roster spots to fill, but is right at the edge of the luxury tax. That’s the marker to watch for roster decisions for the Rockets. If the staying out of the tax remains a priority, expect Houston to move on from what players they can. That will free up enough room to fill out the roster with minimum signings, while staying under the tax. (@KeithSmithNBA)
Cap Space Forecast
-$41,805,869 (15th out of 30). $5,615,217 under the Luxury Tax.
