The Rockets' Agenda: Get to Work

I recently wrote an article about the Houston Rockets and its need to basically do nothing this offseason.

With the news breaking about Yao Ming possibly missing a season or more, it made my article meaningless.

With free agency to begin in two days, Daryl Morey has his hands full. The problem is. he doesn't know if Yao will actually be missing next year, while Yao and Tracy McGrady's contracts do not allow for much flexibility.

Priority No. 1 is to convince Ron Artest to stay.

Artest proved to everyone his days of being a misfit are over. While he did lose his temper on occasion, he never jumped in the stands.

Artest molded himself into the emotional leader of the team. He and Battier provide the perfect balance of leadership; Artest is a fiery motivator, and Battier is a calm, but forceful companion.

The team would rue the day they let either of these guys go.

Obviously going after Amar'e Stoudemire has to be near the top of the list. The problem is, the Rockets don't seem to have anyone to fit the Suns' rebuilding mood.

Amar'e is a defensive nightmare, but the Rockets' defensive mentality should more than make up for it.

The team would more than likely have to offer up more than McGrady, Landry and Brooks. At that point, is it even worth it?

The Ricky Rubio sweepstakes officially began right after the draft, and the Rockets apparently offered Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier in a deal.

I do not understand this move. Brooks matured into a capable scoring point guard and Battier is the leader of the team. I cannot fathom any scenario working for the Rockets if they lose Battier.

Thankfully, if the rumor is even true, the Wolves passed on this offer.

The Milwaukee Bucks just released a statement saying they are not going to sign Charlie Villanueva, officially making him an unrestricted free agent.

If the Rockets are looking for potential backup post players, this guy needs to be on the radar.

Villanueva averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, mainly off the bench. At 6'11", he would most definitely be a great backup for Yao, as well as a potential starter.

In January and February, when he was starting due to injuries, he averaged 20.2 and 21.6 points and nearly seven rebounds per contest. I think it is safe to say he is at least deserving of a workout in Houston.

It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers roster unfolds. As it stands, they have two very expensive starting-caliber centers.

Zydrunas Ilguaskas is someone the Rockets cannot afford to pass up, should he choose to opt out of his contract.

If Yao is truly done for the entire year, Big Z is a viable replacement.

There are some rumors floating around that the Rockets are mulling Allen Iverson as a replacement for Tracy McGrady. This cannot happen.

Allen Iverson is a ball hog and a washed up superstar. Does that sound familiar?

We don't need to replace Tracy McGrady with a shorter version of him. Having him and Aaron Brooks together would create a defensive back court liability the Rockets could not overcome.

Should Carlos Boozer decide to opt out today, the Rockets should take serious interest in him. However, they cannot afford to give him a raise on his current $12 million dollar salary, which is what him opting out would cost another team.

The only way this becomes a reality is if they can get out of Tracy's contract in a trade. Several teams have shown interest in T-Mac, so this isn't completely out of the picture.

In two previous articles, I mentioned a dire need to sign Rasheed Wallace if Yao is indeed finished. I have since backed off a bit on this notion, but the Rockets should still consider him if the aforementioned players sign with other teams.

Rasheed Wallace brings with him a deadly long-range shot, as well as the ability to score from the post. His post defense is also hard to come by, which would bode well in a division with Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, David West, and now Hasheem Thabeet.

The Rockets have a roster full of tremendous role players, and whether it be Yao or someone else, they seemingly just need a superstar to bring home a title.