This offseason has been close to a disaster for the Houston Rockets. One big swing and miss. Chandler Parsons has now left to the Dallas Mavericks through restricted free agency, following Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik getting traded. This team still has two All-Stars and a new shiny addition, but there is no doubt they’re worse off than they were compared to last season.

That’s what you get when all you think about is adding a third star. Daryl Morey decided to throw everything he had at getting Carmelo Anthony, and when that didn’t seem too realistic, Chris Bosh. He traded Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans in what later turned out to be a three-team trade and sent Jeremy Lin to the Lakers along with a draft pick just to clear cap space. The plan didn’t work.

The plan also said that the Rockets were going to re-sign Chandler Parsons no matter what the Mavericks offer him. But the moment Chris Bosh decided he’s going to Miami in the quick aftermath to the LeBron James decision while Carmelo Anthony told the Rockets to stop dreaming about him, their plans of being a championship team this season disintegrated into nothing.

Trevor Ariza joined – eventually through the three-team trade we mentioned, and that meant Parsons was as good as gone. There’s no reason to pay a combined $23 million to two Small Forwards. Ariza comes in cheaper, and one might say the Rockets haven’t really lost on that front (they probably have). Either way, Parsons isn’t worth $15 million a season, not when they already have a small forward to start for them.

Things are interesting for the Dallas Mavericks with Chandler, Nowitzki, Parsons and Ellis in the starting lineup, although defense is going to be difficult to come by. But weakening the Rockets makes sense. A team that should have been on its way to contend for a title or at least make an upgrade compared to the last two years is now waiting for next offseason, knowing that this year isn’t going to get them very far.

They lost a backup, starting level center. They lost a starting small forward who will probably play for Team USA in the World Championships this summer. They lost an excellent Sixth Man who should have been their starting point guard. They’ll make more moves, but considering what’s available in the market, it’s been a bad offseason for the Rockets, and Daryl Morey probably lost a lot of points in the eyes of those who previously heralded him.

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