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#7 Houston Rockets
Previous rank: No. 14 (worldwide)
Average annual salary: £7.5 million ($9.6 million)
Highest-paid player: Chris Paul ($35.6 million)
Unlike the Heat, the Rockets have done a phenomenal job of building their roster up from scratch. Starting in 2012, when they acquired franchise player and reigning MVP James Harden in a trade from then-finalists Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets have barely put a foot wrong in terms of handing out contracts. Sure, Ryan Anderson may have seemed like a reach in 2016, but that's one blemish on an otherwise spotless wage bill.
The Rockets will be looking to go two steps better than the Game 7 Western Conference Finals appearance that they managed in 2018, although their task has become monumentally harder due to the Warriors' offseason moves. The Rockets remain a good bet to be a Conference powerhouse for years to come, all things considered.
