Although the Houston Rockets are clearly rebuilding and in the early stages of a youth movement, they aren’t yet flush with cash.
For example, when the Rockets traded former MVP Russell Westbrook to Washington in December 2020, they took back another high-priced guard, John Wall. The Wizards had to send out a comparable annual salary figure to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and Houston received a future first-round pick for taking on a contract that was viewed as less desirable. Even though Wall is no longer playing for the Rockets due to a mutual agreement, his contract remains on the books entering the 2021-22 season, with both parties hopeful of a trade once he is owed less money.
Thus, even though the Rockets began their rebuild by trading Westbrook and James Harden, they don’t yet have a clean financial slate. They also have veterans Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. who are still under contracts that were signed in 2019 — when Harden was still in Houston, and a rebuild wasn’t yet being planned by the front office.
Then again, it’s not as if Houston desperately needed cap space in 2021, anyway. Even if the Rockets had the financial ability to sign top free agents during this past offseason, it seems doubtful that any elite veteran player would have wanted to sign with a team that just finished the 2020-21 season with the NBA’s worst record. In a year or two, though, the Rockets could be viewed as a team on the rise with a young core led by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood. In that context, Houston could quickly become a desirable destination for free agents.
That’s assuming they have the money, of course. Courtesy of the HoopsHype salary database, here’s a look at who second-year general manager Rafael Stone has on the books entering 2022 and beyond. This list is sorted by annual salary, ranging from the most to the least.
Photo via Houston Rockets Zoom
Player: John Wall, 6-foot-3 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 31 years old
2021-22 salary: $44.3 million
Future earnings: $47.4 million for 2022-23
AP Photo/John Amis
Player: Eric Gordon, 6-foot-4 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 32 years old
2021-22 salary: $18.2 million
Future earnings: $19.6 million for 2022-23; $20.9 million for 2023-24 (vesting option)
AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King
Player: Christian Wood, 6-foot-10 big
Age entering 2021-22 season: 26 years old
2021-22 salary: $13.7 million
Future earnings: $14.3 million for 2022-23
Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Player: Jalen Green, 6-foot-6 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 19 years old
2021-22 salary: $9.0 million
Future earnings: $9.4 million for 2022-23; $9.9 million for 2023-24; $12.5 million for 2024-25 (last two seasons are team options)
Photo by Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Player: Daniel Theis, 6-foot-8 big
Age entering 2021-22 season: 29 years old
2021-22 salary: $8.3 million
Future earnings: $8.7 million for 2022-23; $9.1 million for 2023-24; $9.5 million for 2024-25 (team option)
Photo by Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Player: DJ Augustin, 5-foot-11 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 33 years old
2021-22 salary: $7 million
Future earnings: $7.3 million for 2022-23 (mostly non-guaranteed)
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Player: David Nwaba, 6-foot-5 wing
Age entering 2021-22 season: 28 years old
2021-22 salary: $4.7 million
Future earnings: $5 million for 2022-23; $5.4 million for 2023-24 (team option)
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Player: Danuel House Jr., 6-foot-6 forward
Age entering 2021-22 season: 28 years old
2021-22 salary: $3.9 million
Future earnings: Unrestricted free agent in 2022 offseason
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Player: Alperen Sengun, 6-foot-9 big
Age entering 2021-22 season: 19 years old
2021-22 salary: $3.2 million
Future earnings: $3.4 million for 2022-23; $3.5 million for 2023-24; $5.4 million for 2024-25 (last two seasons are team options)
Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Player: Usman Garuba, 6-foot-8 forward
Age entering 2021-22 season: 19 years old
2021-22 salary: $2.4 million
Future earnings: $2.5 million for 2022-23; $2.6 million for 2023-24; $4.4 million for 2024-25 (last two seasons are team options)
Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Player: Josh Christopher, 6-foot-5 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 19 years old
2021-22 salary: $2.3 million
Future earnings: $2.4 million for 2022-23; $2.5 million for 2023-24; $4.3 million for 2024-25 (last two seasons are team options)
Troy Taormina/Pool Photo via AP
Player: Kevin Porter Jr., 6-foot-4 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 21 years old
2021-22 salary: $1.8 million
Future earnings: $3.2 million for 2022-23 (team option)
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Player: KJ Martin, 6-foot-6 forward
Age entering 2021-22 season: 20 years old
2021-22 salary: $1.5 million
Future earnings: $1.8 million for 2022-23; $1.9 million for 2023-24
POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports
Player: Jae’Sean Tate, 6-foot-4 forward
Age entering 2021-22 season: 25 years old
2021-22 salary: $1.5 million
Future earnings: $1.8 million for 2022-23
AP Photo/Michael Wyke
Player: Armoni Brooks, 6-foot-3 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 23 years old
2021-22 salary: $1.5 million
Future earnings: $1.8 million for 2022-23; $1.9 million for 2023-24, $2.1 million for 2024-25 (all seasons are team options)
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Player: Daishen Nix, 6-foot-5 guard
Age entering 2021-22 season: 19 years old
2021-22 salary: $0.5 million
Future earnings: No additional contract years
AP Photo/John Locher
Player: Anthony Lamb, 6-foot-6 forward
Age entering 2021-22 season: 23 years old
2021-22 salary: $0.5 million
Future earnings: No additional contract years
