While the Rockets spent their summer splurging on one veteran after the next, they should still recognize that this core is built more for tomorrow than today. So, brightening the long-term outlook matters more than pushing for maximum competitiveness this season.

In other words, if Houston has a chance to expand its young core, it should. This deal might do exactly that.

The word "might" is needed there, as Williams has yet to establish himself as a long-term building block. Still, the 2021 No. 10 pick has time on his side. He just turned 22 years old on Sept. 12, and he has yet to log 2,000 minutes in the NBA.

The odds of him hitting his ceiling might not be as high as they initially seemed, but his potential as a 6'8" featured scorer who contributes on defense has a non-zero chance of coming to fruition.