Francisco Garcia to decline option, leave Houston Rockets

According to Chris Haynes of Comcast Sportsnet, Houston Rockets forward Francisco Garcia will decline his $1.31 million player option for next season and become a free agent. The reasoning behind the decision is Garcia is hoping to net a multi-year contract either from the Rockets or from another squad. He is not against returning to Houston. However, that doesn’t mean Houston has any desire to bring him back.

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Garica played one year for the Rockets, averaging 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. However, his career is certainly on a downward trajectory. He used to be a double-figure scorer who shot well over 40 percent from the floor back when he was a member of the Sacramento Kings. With Houston, his second run with the team after transitioning back and forth between it and Sacramento in 2012-13, Garcia was not much of an asset. He was also supposed to bring some veteran leadership and steadiness to the team, but those departments were sorely lacking in the Rockets’ early playoff exit.

Some team will most likely offer Garcia a contract. It might not be the multi-year deal he is searching for though. A player of Francisco Garica’s ability may be reduced to a one-year deal to prove he still has something left, something worth committing to.