Inside The Rockets

Rockets Should Bring Back Fan Favorite

The Houston Rockets have an open roster spot. Should they re-sign Boban Marjanovic?

Jeremy Brener

Mar 19, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic (51) runs down the court during the second half against the Washington Wizardsat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Mar 19, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic (51) runs down the court during the second half against the Washington Wizardsat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have a vacant spot on their roster after the sudden retirement of third-year forward AJ Griffin, whom the team acquired in a trade during this summer's NBA Draft with the Atlanta Hawks.

Griffin's shocking departure gives the Rockets an open roster spot to work with, and they can go in a few different directions with it.

They can either keep the roster spot open for flexibility purposes, sign a younger prospect with upside or bring on a veteran. There's a world where signing Boban Marjanovic makes sense.

Marjanovic, 36, is still a free agent after going unsigned around the NBA. He's been with the Rockets for the past two years, serving as a veteran mentor for some of the younger players on the team. With the addition of Steven Adams, Marjanovic was no longer needed in that role, leading the Rockets not to pursue another contract.

By signing Marjanovic back, the Rockets take some pressure off of the wings on the roster to perform. Griffin was a young prospect, but given the investment made to other young players on the roster, he was hardly ever going see meaningful minutes in Houston. That's why bringing in a player with that youth and upside doesn't make much sense.

Marjanovic knows he won't play big-time minutes in the NBA this season, but a return to a familiar role could be beneficial for both sides.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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