As Tyus Jones joins the Denver Nuggets, the chorus of boos grows louder.
Houston Rockets fans wanted him. It made some intuitive sense. Jones’ best NBA seasons have seen him marry passing volume with a low turnover rate in a way that, frankly, only Fred VanVleet really does. So why wouldn’t Rafael Stone want him as a VanVleet replacement?
Well, he’s not particularly…good? Yes, Jones is a steady game manager, but his total inability to create his own shot and his diminutive size have contributed to a -2.2
Box Plus/Minus (BPM) this year. Signing him to make entry passes to Alperen Sengun and not turn the ball over for a few minutes per game would have been defensible, but sticking with JD Davidson is probably even better.
So, it seems like another quiet transactional season for Rafael Stone. This summer may be the same. The Rockets have consistently signalled that they want to see this young core, plus Kevin Durant, alongside Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. Still, they may look to make some low-cost signings in free agency.
Here are players they should take a look at.
Dante Exum, G/F
In theory, Exum is the perfect free agent signing.
Ime Udoka won’t play negative defenders? No worries. Exum has always been a good defender.
The Rockets need some ball-handling? Exum was drafted as a point guard. In 2020-21, Cleveland gave him 52% of his minutes at the 3, but most recently, the Mavericks moved him back to the 1.
Shooting? How about 49.1% from deep in 2023-24 and 43.4% in 2024-25? Name an ability that isn’t “be a star”, and Exum has it. This year..
Wait, Exum hasn’t played this year.
He barely played last year. Exum may retire before he has a chance to suit up for the Rockets (again, technically). That said, if he is ready to suit up in 2026-27, the Rockets should give him a chance on a veteran’s minimum.
Svi Mykhailiuk, G/F
On the subject of Udoka and negative defenders…
It may be time to loosen up. One negative-ish defender is not going to sink the team’s entire gameplan. Moreover, if that single negative defender is a knockdown movement shooter from three-point range, it could unlock a lot of options in the offensive gameplan.
If that matters to Ime Udoka in the slightest.
Mykhailiuk isn’t known for locking up opponents, but he is 6’7″. Playing him at the 2 allows Udoka to preserve his highly valued positional size advantage, and with some coaching in that department, who knows? Mykhailiuk could at least meet Houston’s (high) minimum defensive standard.
Matisse Thybulle, G/F
That said, if Udoka insists…
Thybulle is one of the best defenders in basketball.
Reputation has a way of outpacing reality. You may be thinking, “another non-shooter?” Think again. Thybulle is hitting 41.8% of his threes over his last four seasons.
Granted, in those four seasons, he’s played about a season’s worth of games. That’s the issue with Thybulle. His body consistently fails him.
That’s why he might be available at a veteran’s minimum. The Rockets don’t have the money for a can’t-miss signing. If they plan on making roster additions this summer, they’re going to be players who are available for a reason. If they can get a healthy year out of Thybulle, he could be one of the best contracts in the NBA.
Ariel Hukporti, C
This one may be a bit out of left field. If you’re thinking “another big?”, there’s a bit more merit in your thought process this time.
That said, Udoka clearly likes 5s. He wants to be able to play double big lineups, and he likes having a variety of bigs. Sure, the Rockets could cycle through veterans, but why not try to target Alperen Sengun’s long-term backup?
Hukporti’s 11.8% Offensive Rebounding % would rank 11th in the NBA if he’d played enough to qualify. He’s a stout rim protector. Hukporti hasn’t shown much on the offensive end, but he does the stuff the Rockets seem to want in a backup big.
Three cheers for signing him this summer?
