Josh Okogie had the option to sign with several NBA teams, but ultimately chose to join the Houston Rockets.
The Houston Rockets had an incredible offseason and made some moves to bolster their roster after a disappointing first round exit.
At the end of last month, the Rockets landed Kevin Durant from the Suns in large trade. Then, to further strengthen their rank, Rocket made some major moves at the free agency.
One of the biggest signatures was the Lakers’ Rockets Landing Drien Finney Smith on a $53 million contract.
Later, to clear out the cap space, Rocket sent Cam Whitmore to the Wizard. Despite perhaps getting some better offers, the Rockets gave Whitmore a favor by swapping him for a team that gets him more time.
In one of their latest moves to add depth to their team, the Rockets signed Josh O’Cogie. And, after all, the Rockets have pushed forward by beating several teams.
According to X’s NBA Insider Ary, Josh Okogie was a popular name in free agency. In fact, the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks all tried to sign him.
However, in the end, Okogee consulted with his representative and agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets instead.
“The San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers also expressed interest before Okogee and his representative chose Houston as Okogee’s next destination.
Okogie chose Rockets to show how good GM Rafael Stone did in building the Rockets roster.
Despite not being a large market team like the Lakers, players are hoping to sign with Rocket and compete for the NBA championship.
Putting together a championship roster wasn’t going to be more difficult in the NBA than it is today. Due to the new CBA, the team must operate under extremely difficult financial restrictions.
So, the way the Rockets operated this offseason, they have no choice but to compete at the highest level next season.
Last season, the Rockets secured their second overall seed in the West with a much weaker roster. So you’d imagine this new roster would allow them to win more games.
Of course, injuries and other unexpected events can derail their momentum. But in a perfect world, a rocket has everything you need to compete.
And with Kevin Durant providing valuable closures and playoff experiences, Rocket has a team worthy of NBA champions.