The passing of the trade deadline can prove to be a tad nightmarish for some NBA players and teams alike. Come 10th February and several of the league’s prominent faces are now left without a team, either being waived or having secured buyouts. The Houston Rockets were arguably the most active franchise this season when it came to letting players go. The organization bid adieu to three NBA veterans in a matter of days. What shocked observers most, however, was when they were shown the bill.

In a recent post by @LegionHoops on Twitter, it was revealed that the $3.2 billion franchise is paying an astounding $84 million to players who are not even a part of their roster. It almost sounds like a self-inflicted robbery – no player will even don their jersey!

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Naturally, NBA-loving Twiterati were in disbelief of the Rockets’ totally free hand. One fan seemed to ask innocently, “And what did they get in return for these guys???”. Take a look at some of the reactions:

A history of the Houston Rockets’ generosity in the NBA

The majority of the bill is thanks to guard John Wall’s massive $47 million clause for his trade. The other players that the Rockets are paying are Ty Jerome, Moe Harkless, Derrick Favors, and Theo Maledon.

The Rockets traded a player two seasons ago in exchange for John Wall. Unfortunately, the five-time All-Star met with injury woes and his relationship with Houston reached a point where Wall agreed to stay a Rocket but never play. His hunger to play built up during the last offseason, leading him secure a giant buyout $41 million buyout, according to the NBA.

Although he began a new chapter with the Los Angeles Clippers, the experiment lasted barely a season and the LA franchise soon made a move for Rockets veteran Eric Gordon. Bizarrely, Wall was brought to Houston once again. In addition, two other veterans, Danny Green and Justin Holiday were also recruited. Just days later though, they waived off all three of their newly acquired stars. The latter two combined cost the Rockets $16 million. As unveiled by the tweet however, this was only part of their generosity.

Could the extravagant spending have an explanation?

The amount in question does seem steep, even for an NBA franchise. On a closer look though, their spending today could prove to be a major advantage in the future, especially with the youth that the Rockets carry. Notably, their highest-earning star this season is sophomore guard Jalen Green who will receive close to $10 million. Since the loss of James Harden and Brodie, the Rockets have focused on rebuilding and stacking up young talent. After their payouts for Danny Green and Holiday, they now have two free spots on the roster to add potential talent for their side.

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Excluding the buyouts, the Rockets have a bill of under $60 million for salaries in the current season. Taking this figure into consideration, it seems they still have enough breathing room to revamp their roster for the next season without having to move young players such as Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun again. In the end, therefore, it might have been a clever maneuver on their part to lighten the load and lose those players who might not have any court-time left this season.

Did the popular NBA team make a wise decision? Post a comment below and let us know what you think.