He's not expiring, he's under contract for 25-26 with no player option. Any realistic trade would include 2 young guys and at minimum 3 1sts.
Not ready to part ways with Reed yet. He’s been bad but he has the tools to be a very good player. He’s still super young and on a good team. However, I AM ready to move on from Jalen. He’s inconsistent as hell and hasn’t added any polish or tricks to his game. He still has a loose dribble when he gets to the paint, makes dumb decisions, can’t shoot, and isn’t a great play maker. Yes he has a game or string of them where he he’s electric but after 3 years and counting, I am thinking he is fools gold. If we can find a way to replace Jalen Green with Booker, that alone will move the needle. We’d likely still need another piece but Booker is a guy we can go to the in the 4th to score and make plays. He would fit very well and has a good 5 prime years left.
It's more likely SA will get Fox just due to their assets and Klutch sports being involved. Once that happens I honestly don't know who the Rockets could target. I still dont see PHX blowing anything up until at the earliest, summer 26 so you will have to figure out a different option.
FVV, Cam, Reed and 2 FRP for Fox before the deadline. Green, Brooks, and the PHX picks for Booker in the offseason.
Latest round of reporting says Fox's camp is willing to be dealt this summer (instead of this trade deadline). Unless a gentleman's agreement, org technically has him for that one year. 2025-26 With risk of him not extending here, it's risky to throw in all / most the PHX picks.
Then we need to pass, because a year and half of fox is not worth anything close to that. To be worth that, he would have to earn a max contract which is what it will take to extend him. If he's not worth it, than the only time you could trade him would be at the deadline next year and you wouldn't get anythink close to what you gave up. If it's FVV and a FRP it would be worth a try. That's it.
When Minny paid all those picks for Gobert, and recently NY for Mikal, there were more years on those contracts, and still were considered around the league as overpay. For a top 15 player, ok maybe put it all in. But a top 15-30th player and a risk of a rental, I would be hesitant. Lastly the PHX picks are worth most to the Suns, if there's desire for a swing at Booker, or even a KD rental, the picks can be used there instead. Fox is a Klutch client. He's willing to pull the plug on the team that drafted him, he can easily do it on a team, whom he has no history. I'm not saying don't pursue Fox, but have to have a price in mind and know when to walk away.
Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if Amen's 3P% is already as good as JG's as early as next season given his rate of improvement so far and JG's lack thereof (or honestly, slight decline in his percentage over time). Of course, Amen will probably never take as many three pointers as Jalen does. He is a better passer and rim finisher and he's in an entirely different universe as a defensive player and rebounder. Just as an overall package, I think he's probably already a better player than Green is. The fit isn't ideal next to the rest of the roster or Fox (unless Fox steps back up to 37% like last season) but I do believe in putting the best players on the floor.
I would say the Gobert deal is the best comparison for a Fox deal. Young team who's rebuild looked "ahead of schedule" and wanted instant gratification and valued trying to win a playoff series or two over trying to build something sustainable. I know people dislike rudy but at the time of the trade he was better than fox is now, pretty easily. Wolves also had a guy with Ant who if you squinted hard enough, you could convince yourself he was gonna be ready right away (obviously nonsense because that never happens). Now that wolves are hopeless and will likely lose ant in a year or two. I'd rate the Gobert deal a D- currently, because it has worked out better than i expected it to, and a Fox deal would likely be similar.
So people seem largely more onboard with trading for Booker than Fox, and I guess I want to take a look at that and prod at it a bit. Pros of acquiring Booker Slightly better three point shooter (35.5% average the last three seasons and 35.6% for his career average--Fox's numbers are 34.7% and 33.4% respectively) More efficient overall on offense (60.0% true shooting the last three seasons, 57.9% career--Fox's numbers are 58.2% and 55.9% respectively) Better defensive player More playoff success (but still no championship rings) Under contract much longer Pros of acquiring Fox Slightly better passer Better rim finisher/driver Almost exactly one year younger Much less expensive until his inevitable max extension kicks in after next season On fit right now, I think Booker seems a little bit better, but it's not a wildly different picture. I was surprised to see how close their 3P% has been the past three seasons. 35.5% versus 34.7% is a pretty marginal difference, and Fox has actually been taking a very similar number of three pointers to Booker. On long-term fit, I might actually prefer Fox? I think FVV's time here is probably coming to a close soon, and Reed is not looking like the answer at point guard. Maybe Amen is, but that's debatable and I think he can play basically whatever position we ask of him. Anyway, we have several possible options at SG, and only one "maybe" option at PG once Fred leaves. I also like that Fox is a year younger. Brings him closer in age to our young core, extends the window. Maybe neither of them is good enough, for me they're both floating around somewhere in that nebulous top 15-25 range as players. But I do wonder if waiting for a true top 10 player and hoping we can outbid all the other hopefuls is a fool's errand.
Another advantage of Fox over Booker is he's a playmaker, facilitator, floor general and leader. The Rockets desperately need a huge upgrade in those areas. He'll also play off-ball (and actually move without the ball) and let Monk take over the point sometimes, especially when he starts cooking.
I prefer Fox to Booker. If the organization was clearly making Amen the pg of the future, then I would prefer Booker. With Amen, I think they’re going to let him stay in the role of point forward and I’m fine with that also. Sengun Smith Amen Brooks Fox Works imo if Green was in the trade.
Between Fox and Booker I trust Fox more for this team just because we know his scoring efficiency has a higher chance of translating here because he plays in a similar offensive spaced system with a dominant on ball big who isn't a great outside threat and takes up similar spaces on the court as Sengun. Both I do fear what their numbers would look like being asked to play Ime level defensive effort.
I think that this is a very good point about Fox. He already plays with a Sengun clone. Fox is also pretty lengthy. He might lose a little bit of efficiency playing harder on defense, but I imagine his true shooting percentage would stay pretty elite.
It's not just Fox or Booker, if Stone can maneuver correctly, Fox and Booker. Leave room for two swings. Not just one.
