James Harden spearheaded the Rockets’ recruitment of Chris Paul, but the MVP runner-up didn’t work alone.
Paul’s former New Orleans teammates Trevor Ariza and Bobby Brown added appeal.
So, unsurprisingly, with Paul in a contract year, Houston is re-signing Brown. The Rockets are also re-signing Troy Williams.
Alykhan Bijani of ESPN Houston:
Talked to my guy Bobby Brown (@BBROWNLAU). He is indeed resigning with the #Rockets. Here is his message to #Rockets fans. pic.twitter.com/1TEZDlYL1H
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) July 20, 2017
Williams’ agency:
Troy Williams is returning to the Houston Rockets after agreeing to a multi-year deal.
— You First Sports USA (@YFsportsUSA) July 20, 2017
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Sources: Troy Williams has agreed to a 3-year deal with Rockets, including a guaranteed first year and trigger dates for second and third.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 20, 2017
Brown is an undersized gunner who’s not nearly efficient enough to compensate for his defensive deficiencies, and he turns 33 before the season. But if he helps convince Paul to re-sign, it would be well worth keeping Brown on the roster all year.
The 22-year-old Williams, who went undrafted last year, is the far more intriguing player. A 6-foot-7 forward, he has the athleticism to stick in the NBA. His 3-point shot needs major development – though not quite as much if he becomes more adept at being a small-ball four, an easier task in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.