3) Houston Rockets
The Rockets made some big moves this off-season to try and establish an identity. It saw a new head coach come in and also saw Dwight Howard leave via free agency for the Atlanta Hawks. Howard would have been an awful fit for the Rockets’ new coaching scheme, but it does leave a void at center. The team is relying on Clint Capela, who is a high energy player but is not a technically sound player in his skills at center.
This makes for a perfect fit for Lopez, who is more of a scorer than Howard, and can play at a higher pace than the current Hawks center. He also can take control of the scoring in the paint, which would leave spacing open for a stretch four such as Ryan Anderson.
The Rockets have some young names such as Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell and Chinanu Onuaku that may tickle the Nets interest. Some of these names, combined with a draft pick or two, may be able to get the Nets to look into striking a deal.
For the Rockets, this is a team looking to win now. By going out and acquiring guys like Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and a new head coach in Mike D’Antoni, it speaks to that. In losing some young players and draft picks it does not take away from the core that they planned to use in the playoffs in the next year or so. In adding Lopez, they get a big-time veteran, a player who fits and a player who may make them legitimate contenders.