The Rockets' plan to take a home run swing ended without ever getting to the plate, but the benefits of making solid contact, the revised goal, began to become more apparent on Monday.
The second day of free agency brought that reminder with guard Austin Rivers choosing to return on a two-year, minimum contact, ostensibly to chase the championship the Rockets have considered within reach.
He gave the Rockets that discount – with a player option in the second year of the contract – a day after the Rockets locked up fellow reserves Danuel House Jr. and Gerald Green.