The threat of the Houston Rockets as potential slayers to the reigning kings of the NBA, the Golden State Warriors, looms larger after reaching agreements with two serviceable veterans in the post-buyout market.

Former All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson and journeyman center Brandan Wright are all expected to suit up with the Rockets for the remainder of the season once their buyouts and signings are finalized, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Johnson was already bought out from his contract with the Sacramento Kings after being one of the moving parts in Thursday’s blockbuster three-team trade that sent George Hill and Rodney Hood to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wright, on the other hand, wanted out of his deal with the struggling Memphis Grizzlies for a shot at playing with a legit title contender.

Deep Rockets

While Johnson is no longer the potent “iso-Joe’ scorer he used to be, he will give the Rockets more offensive punch on their second unit and another veteran presence in the locker room. Wright will fortify their frontcourt, giving the team another big body to utilize behind Clint Capela and Nene.

The Rockets (41-13) are neck and neck with the Warriors (43-13) in the Western Conference standings with several analysts believing Houston is a legit threat to Warriors’ dominance in the West after two terrific wins against the reigning champs. The addition of Johnson and Wright to the Rockets would add spice to the brewing rivalry, which could reach the boiling point in this year’s Western Conference finals.

Warriors still in search of talents

The Warriors had interest Johnson prior to his decision to join the Rockets. They were also among the teams lining up for shooter Marco Belinelli before he announced to join the Philadelphia 76ers after sealing buyout deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the misses in the post-buyout market, the Warriors will still have plenty of options in the booming post-buyout market.

The Warriors could bring one of their former big men in the fold with the availability of Andrew Bogut and possibly Marreese Speights. Bogut started the season with the Los Angeles Lakers before he asked for a buyout in January. Speights, who was also part of the Warriors’ 2015 championship team, is averaging 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 13.2 MPG.

Despite his below averaged field goal percentage (39.1 percent), his three-point shooting clip (36.5 percent) remains solid for a floor stretcher at the four spot.

They could also address their need in wing position by taking a closer look at Shabazz Muhammad, who has been looking for a way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves because of limited playing time.