Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. is seen by the franchise as a core part of the team, according to GM Daryl Morey.

Morey, who spoke with play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman on the team’s latest RocketsCast Live podcast, explained on the episode why he believes House will be “very” important moving forward.

“We said, ‘Look, you’re a core part of this group,’ ” Morey said of the team’s pitch to House in free agency, in which they re-signed House on the first night to a three-year, $11.1-million deal. “And we feel like he can be. He was for much of the season last year.”

“His first toe-dip into the playoffs, because he had the injury, wasn’t perfect,” Morey added, alluding to the toe injury that limited the 26-year-old’s availability and performance last postseason. “But that was such a small part of the long stretch he helped us last season.”

A native Houstonian, the 6-foot-7 House averaged 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game during the 2018-19 season, his first with the Rockets. House’s athleticism, defensive versatility, and soft touch from long range (41.6% on three-pointers) quickly made him a fixture in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s rotation.

The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko has reported that Houston’s starting small forward spot is a “real possibility” for House in this coming season. Last week, House joined James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and many other Rockets in offseason team workouts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

“He’s young, he’s athletic,” Morey said of House. “He’s talented, he’s got a good approach. He works hard, and we’re excited about it. We’re happy to come out of free agency with him.”

The full podcast with Morey and Ackerman can be heard here.