The Rockets 5 most pressing questions during the offseason: Adams will go or stay? JA & How to continue Ethan?

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The Houston Rockets' 2024-25 NBA journey has come to an end, but the team's defeat to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday officially kicked off this suspenseful offseason.

At the end of the season's trading date, the Rockets retained a complete lineup in order to enter the playoffs with the second seed seat in the West. But this summer, changes may be coming. The Rockets kept the lineup intact by the end of this season's trading date and eventually secured a playoff spot as the second seed of the West, but the team may usher in changes this summer. Here are the five most urgent questions for the Rockets this offseason.

1. Will the Rockets renew Fred VanVleet?

Fred VanVleet's contract has $44.9 million worth of team options next season. After Sunday's playoff defeat, the Rockets have five days to decide whether to implement this option.

When asked about his future after the Rockets lost Game 7, Van Villet said: "Obviously, I'm devoted myself to it, and it's where I want to play, and it's definitely a family-like emotion. I love our coaching team, General Manager Stone, and the owner Fertitta family, and we love the goals we set when we met at free agents two years ago, and we've been moving towards that goal. It's never been a short-term idea, but a long-term goal. So our plan has not changed, everything is going step by step. Losing the game in this way and ending the season is tough, and now is not the time to consider the contract, and we'll handle that at the right time."

Uduka said he definitely hopes Van Villet will return next season.

" Both sides have a willingness to continue to work together," said Uduka. "From the beginning, I emphasized his importance in the point guard position. He led us in many ways, and also gave other players room to grow. He knew what kind of team he was joining and what the contract he signed meant - in general, he was an extremely important part of our growth. So, I like everything he did. Whether it was with or without the ball, he was perfect for our defenders and the growth of young players. Obviously, I hope he can return, and I think that thinking is mutual."

This experienced point guard promoted his value with his outstanding playoff performance in the last four games of the Warriors series. In these four games, he averaged 24.3 points per game and shot as high as 63.6% from three-pointers (21 of 33 shots). Van Vreet made eight three-pointers in Game 4, tying the Rockets' team record of three-pointers in a single game in the playoffs (previously created by Chris Paul against the Jazz in 2018 and Matt Maloney against the Supersonics in 1997).

Van Van Vreet's free throw performance was also perfect throughout the series, making 24 free throws, setting a record for consecutive free throws in the team's history (more than Calvin Murphy's 23 consecutive wins against the Spurs in 1981). Free throws have always been a famous weakness of the Rockets.

Van Vreett is the Rockets' highest-paid player this season. His contract situation can be said to be the biggest financial problem facing the Rockets this offseason, because only by determining this can the Rockets be clear about the situation in the luxury tax and the first tyrant line, and then clarify how much money can be invested in potential free agent goals.

Will the Rockets chase stars like Kevin Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo?

The Rockets are expected to negotiate a deal to get an All-Star player. The joining of a superstar can add scoring firepower to the team, which is exactly what the Rockets lack. But ultimately, whether they will take action will depend on the price of the deal, and which players the Rockets are asking for as trade chips.

The notable misunderstanding is: If the Rockets want to introduce a star, it means giving up Jaylen Green. But in fact, even if the big deal is completed, it doesn't mean that Green will leave immediately, but his role in the team may be weakened.

Although Green's poor score in the playoffs, within the Rockets, people are still optimistic about the 23-year-old guard, believing that he has the potential to grow into a top scorer. That being said, his contract worth $105.3 million (average annual salary of $35.1 million) ranks third in the team's salary ranking, and he is not a non-selling product. The Rockets are more likely to choose to keep Green and let him partner with the newly introduced stars, hoping that this former second-tier show can improve over time.

The Rockets currently hold 5 tradeable first-round picks (as of 2032, including 3 unprotected picks from the Suns), which provides a bargaining base for blockbuster transactions. According to the labor-management agreement, each team can begin negotiations with free agents from other teams starting from June 30, so you can pay attention to whether there will be more accurate news. However, the signing will not be officially completed until July 6.

What free agents will the Rockets try to retain?

In the offseason this year, three Rockets players will become full free agents, namely Adams, Jeff Green and Tate. Of these three, Adams is the Rockets' top priority to retain. He became one of the Rockets' most influential players in the playoffs, especially when playing with Shin Kyung.

The 31-year-old center showed amazing efficiency during the playoffs - the team won 44 points when he was on the court (highest in the series), with an offensive rebounding percentage of 14.6% and a net efficiency value of 14.1 both leading all rotation players (average at least 8 minutes per game). In February 2024, the Rockets used Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks to get Adams from the Grizzlies' trade. Now it seems that the deal is worth it. Although he has been missing back-to-back games due to knee rehabilitation management in the regular season, his average of 22.1 minutes per game in the playoffs proves that he has fully recovered from health.

After the seventh game, Adams told the Houston Chronicle that his future was "unresolved." This summer, there will almost certainly be a bidding war around him, and in free agent market, Adams will definitely be worth a lot more than his $12.6 million this season.

Tate and Jeff Green are deeply loved by the coaching staff, but the playoffs have fallen out of rotation. Management may offer a basic salary contract, but both are at risk of leaving the team.

Will the Rockets provide Jabbarri Smith Jr. and Tari Ethan's contract extension?

After completing a rookie contract renewal with Green and Shin Kyung last year's offseason, the Rockets must decide whether to renew their contracts with third-year forwards Jabbarri Smith Jr. and Tari Ethan during the offseason this year.

Jabbarri Smith Jr. was the team's starter in the first two seasons of his career. He was also in the starting lineup at the beginning of this season until he had a broken hand in January and was then replaced by Amen Thompson. In the regular season, he averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, shooting 43.8% from the field and 35.4% from three-pointers. In the playoffs, he shot 45.5% from three-pointers (10 of 22 shots).

Ethan played as a substitute in the regular season, averaging 24.9 minutes of playing time, setting a career high, averaging 12.0 points, 1.7 steals, 1.5 assists, and shooting percentage of 48.7%. He missed a total of 23 games due to an operation he underwent last season, including 13 consecutive games he missed in the first half of the season. In the playoffs, he ranked second in block count and third in rebounding percentage.

"This is definitely the hardest year since I played basketball. I have to recover from injuries and face self-doubt," Ethan said on Sunday. "I'm not making excuses. My father also passed away last month and went through so many things. Now I have a lot of thoughts in my mind."

How important is this year's NBA draft to the Rockets?

The Rockets won an unprotected first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns due to an asset deal with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason, so they will surely get a 2025 lottery this year. The draft pick obtained by the Rockets through the Suns is currently expected to be the 9th overall pick in the NBA lottery. The lottery draw will determine the top four picks in the NBA draft, and the remaining lottery teams will be selected from the 5th to 14th picks in the reverse order of the regular season record of the 2024-2025 season. The Rockets have a 17.3% chance to jump to the top four pick and a 3.8% chance to win the No. 1 pick - the team that gets the No. 1 pick will have a chance to get Duke forward Cooper Flag. But will the Rockets use this draft pick or trade it out? If the Rockets fail to get a lottery draw in the top four, their pick will be ahead of the Trail Blazers, who lost in a random decisive victory with the Suns about the ninth-default record in the league.

But will the Rockets use this draft pick, or trade it?

The Rockets already have many young and talented players, but Stone will not miss any chance to pick a player he thinks is talented. The Rockets chose Amen Thompson with the No. 4 pick two years ago, and Reed Shepard with the No. 3 pick last summer. It is not expected that the position on the court will become too much influencing factor. If the Rockets conduct a draft, Stone will choose the best players.