The contract transfer guarantee time is delayed! Will the Rockets substitute center become a potential bargaining chip in big deals?

According to reports from The Athletic reporter Fred Katz, information sources from the league revealed that the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement with substitute center Jock Landale. The two sides jointly decided to postpone the deadline for whether Landale's contract will be converted into a full guarantee contract next season to July 7 local time. Keith Smith, founder of American media Spotrac, said that the decision provided the Rockets with more flexibility in player contracts, allowing them to pay more attention to the dynamics of the free agent market.

In the all-NBA regular season this season, Langdale has participated in 42 of 82 games, with his average playing time of 11.9 minutes. In terms of data, he averaged 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.2 blocks per game, as well as 0.5 turnovers and 1.2 fouls. He shot 53.3% from the field, 42.3% from three-pointers, and 67.5% from free throws. However, in the playoffs, Langdale failed to enter the team's rotation lineup, and the only chance of playing was only once, and the time on the court was only 4 minutes and 51 seconds. In that short time, he completed two shots, hit one goal, scored 2 points in total, and other statistics were blank.

Nevertheless, Langdale still showed some highlights in his performance during the regular season. In some games, he successfully demonstrated his diversified ability on the offensive end and was a player with rich offensive methods. Even with his playing time fluctuating greatly, he is still able to maintain high shooting and three-point shooting percentage, which is indeed extremely challenging. In addition, he also has certain ability to pass and instigate offense. However, Landal's performance on the defensive end is relatively weak and cannot bear too much defensive responsibility. Unfortunately, during the playoffs, another Rockets substitute center Steven Adams performed well, especially the double tower combination with Alperen Sengun, which achieved a significant record, making it difficult for Langdale to get more opportunities to play.

Previously, the Rockets had completed a contract renewal with Adams, and according to previous rumors, the Rockets also hope to get a strong veteran by trading wing star Cam Whitmore. In this case, the Rockets' decision to postpone the contract with Landale to security may actually be in preparation for subsequent deals. Landale's contract amount next season is $8 million, but because his contract in 2026-27 is also non-guaranteed, this makes his contract an ideal balance chip in the trade. Next, whether the Rockets can find a suitable trading partner and whether Landal can successfully get a salary of $8 million next season has also become a hot topic in the outside world.