The Houston Rockets are going to keep their core around James Harden and Russell Westbrook intact, as franchise owner Tilman Fertitta claimed, per Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.
(via the Score):
“You have James Harden and Russell Westbrook and you have almost 90% of your salaries tied up in them and Eric Gordon,” Fertitta said.
“But anytime you have players like Eric, P.J. (Tucker), James, and Russell, there’s no reason to blow up your roster,” he continued.
The Rockets have no space in the salary cap to add new players to the team’s plan, as most of the current squad is tied in lucrative contracts.
Fertitta seems to believe Houston is in place to compete for a title the next few seasons and the next coach is going to face immediate high expectations.
“This is still our window, the next couple of years. James and Russell are in their early 30s,” Fertitta added. “We’re not blowing up anything. We plan on contending.”
The Rockets are still searching for a new coach, after Mike D’Antoni decided to leave Houston. During D’Antoni’s stint, the team made a pair of appearances in the Western Conference Finals.
