You're either improving your roster in the offseason or you're watching other teams do it. That's the gist of what Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on Wednesday evening recapping that epic blockbuster trade that netted the Rockets Chris Paul.
"It's a weapons race in the NBA," Morey said. "You're either in the weapons race or on the sidelines. We felt like this is, with James Harden in his prime and Chris Paul in his prime, this gives us a real shot to chase the juggernaut teams that are out there."
Since the season ended, there's been a frenzy unlike we've seen in the NBA with teams looking to keep up with the juggernaut out west that is the Warriors. Golden State went 16-1 in the NBA playoffs and, after acquiring Kevin Durant last offseason, boast a four All-Star starting lineup that includes Durant, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
With CP3 in Houston, Morey feels confident about Houston's chances moving forward in competing for a title.
"It puts us right there with them," he said. "So we're very excited to have Chris. He's such an unbelievable player. We think he and James and our core .. we really feel like we have something special here in Houston."
The Rockets will pair Paul, a nine-time All-Star, with MVP runner-up Harden to form an up-and-coming team that finished third in the Western Conference with 55 wins. Houston fell shy of a Western Conference Finals appearance after losing to the Spurs in six games, but with the addition of Paul its chances of pushing the Warriors have increased significantly. And it all comes as a result of Houston's big win in the weapons race.