The Houston Rockets have been part of the rumor mill this offseason, as several top flight players have been discussed as potential trade targets for teams trying reach the next level of the league.
Players like Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, and Ja Morant have been highly-discussed trade acquisitions, and the NBA world recently watched a franchise trade one of its homegrown cornerstones with Lamelo Ball’s departure.
However, the available stars won’t be coming to the Rockets without some significant capital leaving the squad. The Rockets may consider a trade if they believe it could increase their overall talent level on the team without losing the current talent.
The only player who might fit that bill is Morant, who could be the centerpiece of a trade involving Fred VanVleet’s now expiring contract. However, Morant’s fit solves few issues for the squad other than the team’s lack of a consistent lead guard. If that is one of their biggest issues, trading a lead guard with some shooting upside for one without shooting seems like a lateral move for the Rockets.
A trade for Brown or Leonard would take a package of assets and players to bring on a star who may have some redundant skill sets in comparision to what the team already has available.
Pairing a player like Leonard or Brown with Kevin Durant might be a tempting partnership due to the high level scoring ability provided by either star pairing. However, the Rockets would likely have to part with either Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson or a combination of Houston’s best role players and other assets.
Removing Şengün from the team and promoting Steven Adams to the starting lineup is not an ideal roster construction for a team that struggled as much as it did on offense in the postseason. Şengün offensive creativity helps keep the team’s offense flowing and contributes to the production of lead guards like VanVleet.
Also, the issue of several players holding the same role, as Thompson, Durant, Leonard or Brown, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. would create an overload of wings without much balance throughout the rest of the roster.
If Houston’s priority is to just load up on talent, balance may not matter as much for the front office. An elite talent will be elite regardless of their roster situation, but winning at a high level requires connectivity across the team.
It seems as of now, the Rockets are prioritizing that connectivity by allowing their current roster to have a chance to run it back with the full complement of players available. If things don’t start well next season, Houston’s priorities could change by the next trade deadline.
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