Aside from the looming contract talks of Clint Capela and Chris Paul, the free agency of veteran forward Trevor Ariza’s is another issue the Rockets will need to address come July 1.

Throughout his career, Ariza has signed relatively team-friendly deals, never earning more than $8.5 million per season. According to a person with knowledge of Ariza’s thinking, the veteran small forward will seek a larger deal once free agency arrives. Ariza is believed to want a contract in the range of $50-60 million over 4-5 years, more than $30-40 million Houston would likely offer. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record about Ariza or the Rockets’ free agency plans.

Ariza, who will turn 33 on June 30, will be an unrestricted free agent. He just finished the final year of a four-year, $32-million deal signed with the Rockets in the summer of 2014. He joined the Rockets in a sign-and-trade deal with his former team, the Washington Wizards.

Ariza has been the starting small forward for Houston since joining the team. His durability has been a major plus; he has appeared in 310 out of 328 possible regular-season games. His three-and-D role is one that is highly coveted around the league, which along with his durability will make him an in-demand free agent.

Earlier in the season, Ariza switched representation, perhaps with financial implications in mind. He left Landmark Sports Group and signed with CAA Sports.

Ariza has already been the rumored subject of interest from the Golden State Warriors, as reported by ESPN.com’s Chris Haynes. However, the decision ultimately lies with how he prioritizes contending versus money. If Ariza wants the biggest payday possible in what will likely be his last major deal, he might need to sign with a non-taxpayer team unlikely to make a deep postseason run. If not, is he willing to make another financial sacrifice and stay with Houston, or take his talents to Oakland? The Warriors could offer him only a taxpayer mid-level exception worth about $18 million over three years.

Losing Ariza would hurt the Rockets’ depth, assuming another top-level two-way player isn’t brought in. The Rockets are widely believed to be suitors for LeBron James and Paul George this summer.