Boston Celtics: 4 Rockets to pursue NOT named James Harden

P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker is among the last of what has been a dying breed for years: the traditional power forward. Mike D’Antoni decided to get crazy with his lineups in 2019-20 when he made Tucker a small-ball center. Things appear like they could be different for Tucker and whoever he suits up for in 2020-21.

That’s a good thing for the 35-year-old. He doesn’t need to be bodying up the Joel Embiid’s and Nikola Jokic’s of the world any longer, especially if he wants to play for a few more seasons. Alongside the likes of whoever isn’t part of the deal of the Tristan Thompson (definitely not), Daniel Theis (warm) and Robert Williams (warm if Theis isn’t included) trio, Tucker can ease back into the more natural 4 spot.

Danuel House

Did Danuel House bend the NBA quarantine rules a bit in the Lake Buena Vista Bubble on Wat Disney World’s Wide World of Sports campus by having an unauthorized guest in his hotel room? Yes, and that did cause House to get the oust(er) from the conclusion of the Rockets’ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder…a series that they won.

In hindsight, a loss in that series likely wouldn’t have changed their trajectory this offseason. The Thunder ended up leaning more into their rebuild, but the Rockets shipped Russell Westbrook off and are clinging to the hope that Harden stays.

If he decides to skip H-Town, however, it is in the best interest of the Cs to see if they can get in on House. House money ($3.7 million) is what you want to have on your roster given the two-way nature of his game and 3-point sniping abilities he possesses (41 percent shooting on just under five attempts per game in 2018-19).