There's no way the Rockets should plan on building their team around Yao after his contract expires. If he still wants to play, he would be best served as a big man off the bench for a title contender, or paired with a dominant, athletic PF.
The answer isn't anyone on the roster now, not Martin, Scola or Brooks.
They probably will hang around and finish 9th or 10th in the west, making it exceedingly unlikely to snag a top 3 pick in the lottery, and the picks from the Knicks don't look like they will be that great either.
They seem stuck as an average to below average team with zero young talent to build around.
Do they package as many of their solid role players/ future picks for the best veteran, or highest pick in next year's draft?
Do they see what they can do in free agency with Yao's money coming off the books?
The answer isn't anyone on the roster now, not Martin, Scola or Brooks.
They probably will hang around and finish 9th or 10th in the west, making it exceedingly unlikely to snag a top 3 pick in the lottery, and the picks from the Knicks don't look like they will be that great either.
They seem stuck as an average to below average team with zero young talent to build around.
Do they package as many of their solid role players/ future picks for the best veteran, or highest pick in next year's draft?
Do they see what they can do in free agency with Yao's money coming off the books?