The Houston Rockets have not had the most successful off-season thus far, missing out on the superstars that they had tried to acquire. Instead of calling this process a failure, they have now added some key additions that could help this team. Early Friday, Kostas Papanikolaou signed a two-year deal to join the Rockets. Kostas will be earning $4.8 million this upcoming season, along with a $4.6 million team option in 2015-2016, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Kostas may not be that well-known to a lot of people, but based on his stats, he can really perform. He spent last season in the Spanish league playing for FC Barcelona, and really improved his game. His playing time increased, and he was starting to improve on the offensive end. Papanikolaou's main position is a small forward.
After losing Chandler Parsons, the Rockets signed Trevor Ariza, who will most likely start as their small forward. Kostas will most likely come off of the bench and really prove what he can do. He has built a reputation of being a decent scorer and good defender.
Houston really struggled when it came to defense and Papanikolaou could really help them in that regard. Also, don't be surprised if the Rockets turn him into a "stretch four" style of player. 6'9" is a good size to be a power forward in a small lineup. He could stretch the floor and even sneak to the rim to get the rebound. Any way the Rockets choose to utilize him, he will have an impact.