The Houston Rockets were one of the most active teams in the NBA offseason, making a huge splash by trading for Kevin Durant as well as signing a handful of contributors.
While their summer full of moves is likely coming to an end, some believe the Rockets could be working on yet another massive deal behind the scenes. A starting lineup of Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Durant, and Alperen Sengun is already among favorites in the Western Conference for good reason, so why change anything?
The only reasonable factor to point to is a lack of experience. While VanVleet and Durant have experience on the league’s biggest stage, Sheppard and Thompson are age 21 and 22, respectively. Houston could foolishly decide giving up their future for a proven talent is worth it to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets reacts in the first half ap at Toyota Center on March 17, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets reacts in the first half ap at Toyota Center on March 17, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley predicts this could happen by the Rockets trading for Durant’s former Suns teammate Devin Booker. The proposed details are Houston sends Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams and a 2027 first-round pick (their own) to Phoenix for Booker.
“Booker still looks like a hand-in-glove fit for Houston. He can share the floor with Durant and is a better timeline fit for the young core. And the Rockets are so stacked with assets, they could conceivably get Booker without decimating their collection,” Buckley wrote.
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The Suns should accept this trade if offered in a heartbeat, as they have failed with two different cores to win it all with Booker at the helm. Building around Sheppard and Khaman Maluach is not a terrible place to be.
Houston, however, would likely regret this move for years to come. Although they’d be surrounded by an entirely different core and coaching staff, the duo of Booker and Durant did not have substantial success. Not to mention the risks that come with giving up a former No. 3 pick in Sheppard so soon.
It’s a rather interesting scenario to imagine for both organizations, but the Rockets should never allow it to come to fruition.
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