The Houston Chronicle reports that the Rockets are looking to keep talented rookies K.J. McDaniels and Kostas Papanikolaou. McDaniels had been a Rookie of the Year candidate until the Sixers traded him to Houston, presumably because he had been a Rookie of the Year candidate. Both McDaniels and Papanikolaou fell out of the playoff rotation, but the Rockets will only have eight players under contract this summer, and it could allow them to pursue a big free agent and then retain the youngsters.
KJ McDaniels will be a free agent, but the Rockets hope to sign him. The Rockets do want to bring back Kostas Papanikolaou, but Rosas said "a decision has not been made" about whether to exercise their option on the second year of his contract or to try to sign him again as a free agent.
But Morey said he would not hesitate to add two more first-year players, even if the Rockets keep all of last season's rookies."We're not worried about how many young players we have," Morey said. "I think it's good to have a mix of veterans and young players."
Source: Rockets adhere to best-player-available draft philosophy - Houston Chronicle.
McDaniels is a restricted free agent, so in only his second year he can get a jump-start on his earning potential. His defensive ability and athleticism is through the roof, but he still lacks a go-to offensive repertoire. There has been speculation that Philadelphia could make a move to re-sign him, but it's unclear whether McDaniels would be interested in a return to the tank machine even if it is planning on moving toward respectability.
The Rockets are in a weird spot, constantly looking to evolve and develop young talent as Morey says, but they're a contender now. They were the 2-seed in the brutal Western Conference and made the Western Conference Finals. Those kinds of teams usually need veterans, hence the presence of Jason Terry, who's a free agent this summer. Yet the Warriors just won with a largely young core. Maybe that's the approach the Rockets are taking, but with multiple first-round picks and eyes on Papanikolaou and McDaniels on their want-list, it's going to be an interesting summer as the Rockets try and determine their direction as a developing contender.
Also, if you have the means, please go back to the beginning of the season and listen to the Rockets' announcers trying to pronounce Papanikolaou. It is well worth your time.