{"id":177773,"date":"2026-02-14T14:23:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=177773"},"modified":"2026-02-14T14:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:23:58","slug":"the-buyout-market-for-rockets-after-chris-pauls-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/02\/14\/the-buyout-market-for-rockets-after-chris-pauls-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"The Buyout Market For Rockets After Chris Paul’s Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Future Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets player Chris Paul<\/a> announced his awkward retirement<\/a> on February 13th. It puts a dampener on an already typically sodden \u201cbuyout market\u201d. However, from a Rockets perspective, there’s an interesting case to be made for another buyout market point guard.<\/p>\n

Who Should Rockets Be Targeting In The Buyout Market?<\/h2>\n

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The Rockets’ Buyout Market Needs<\/h3>\n

Contenders usually use this time of year to pick up scraps of veteran depth. The most common purpose of such players is to eat up regular-season minutes, thus affording playoff rotation players extra rest. In particular, this can be necessary to cover for the injuries sustained during the arduous 82-game marathon. In point guard Fred VanVleet<\/a>, the Rockets sustained injuries before the season even started.<\/p>\n

The Rockets just skipped the trade deadline entirely with zero moves. As a result, the buyout market would seem to take on an elevated importance for them. Some Rockets fans certainly had an eye on Paul. Houston\u2019s point guard situation<\/a> remains precarious. Every new failed offensive set in crunch time or ugly game from the field for All-Star<\/a> Alperen Sengun<\/a> wobbles it further. The team has the second-lowest<\/a> assist percentage in the NBA. The only easy shots they generate are off of offensive rebounds, and their best offensive rebounder is out for the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n