Electric fan signing rating: Dreaming back 18 years, the Rockets are the biggest threat to defending champion again

ESPN reporter Shams Charania reported that several sources revealed that the Rockets signed forward Dorian Finney Smith in four years by 53 million.

Data expert Kevin Pelton gave A's evaluation of the signing: The Rockets got one of the best free agents in the offseason. The Rockets signed PJ Tucker with full middle class the year they traded for Chris Paul, just like Dorian Finney Smith, an experienced 3D character player. Tucker became the Rockets' starter, helping the team win 65 games and forcing the Warriors to tiebreak in the Western Conference Finals.

Finney Smith wants to help the Rockets substitute Dillon Brooks leave the vacancy. Dillon had a half-court position battle from point guard (Alexander) to center (Vinban Yama), and Finney Smith might not be as comprehensive as him. At this stage of his career, Finney Smith is a better choice to defend the forward. The Rockets have Amen Thompson to deal with the backcourt, and he is one of the best defenders in the league.

Offensive end, Finney Smith is more suitable for Durant than Dillon. The Rockets have multiple ball-holding points (Durant, Thompson, Shin Kyung and Van Vreet), and the fifth person only needs space support. Finney Smith has shot 38% from three-pointers in the past six seasons, and is the best 41% of his career in the 2024-25 season. Dillon's career is only 35.5%, although he shot 40% last season.

The four-year contract is a bit risky for Finney Smith at this age. On the optimistic side, the Rockets only used less than the full middle class money to get him, helping them avoid paying luxury taxes in the new season. If the Finney-Smith contract increases by 5%, the Rockets' salary will exceed the luxury tax line by 3 million, and tax avoidance can be avoided by sending Whitmore or multiple basic salary contracts.

Currently, the Rockets' top seven players are very reliable, and in the bench are Steve Adams, Whitmore, and Reed Shepard. They did not sacrifice depth while getting Durant, and they could also cope with Durant's absence in the regular season. Although the healthy Thunder is still the biggest favorite in the championship, just like in 2018, the Rockets once again became the biggest threat to the defending champion.