Choose your own adventure: Which star should the Rockets acquire, or none of them?

I love my Rockets.

But holy ****, im not sure i could watch that for 82 games.

 

@OremLK

Exactly. I probably would not change my mind about trading for KD, but I could at least be open to the idea if there are valid reasons. I do not even hear anyone from the pro-KD camp claiming that he would elevate us to contenders. I literally have only heard he would be a good fit, and he "bridges the gap." What I want to know is what the hell is on the other side of the bridge that KD gets us to? The second round? Very likely and very pointless.

Reports are Jazz are going to actively look to trade Lauri (as they already tried to before he signed an extension). The contract is bad for his production; however, it's not catastrophic depending on which Rocket's players are included in the trade. Cap hit of $46 Million for the next two seasons. Lauri Markkanen | NBA Contracts & Salaries | Spotrac.com Fred or Jalen would most likely have to be included in any trade as well as pick(s). Jalen is making what ~33 million next year? Add Jock's contract of 8 million and your pretty close to making the numbers work. Does not seem so bad. Only issue is there would have to be additional trades to balance out the roster as the frontcourt would be way too crowded. I like the idea. Adds consistent shooting and won't cost the farm. If you could expand the trade to include Collin Sexton ($17 million) than ever better.

Salud

 

I don't know how much stock to put in it but the Suns guys from the Athletic was implying awhile back that the box score #'s tend to understate that Durant has slipped in terms of doing the little, hard annoying things (defensive rotation, close out, screening etc) because he is conserving energy for carrying the high usage/scoring burden on offense at his age.

 

Honestly, I'm not sure that'd be necessary...and why ya'll always trying to get rid of Reed lol

Reed wasn't that far behind Wallace in stl rate this season...As a rookie, Reed actually had a better stl rate than Wallace did as a rookie....

 

Like others, this is impossible to answer without knowing what we're sending out in the process. That being said, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Booker. He's coming off a down year, sure, but that also means his value is deflated. The Rockets also have a ton of leverage in any deal with Phoenix because we hold the future of their draft picks in our hands.

He may not be the superstar that Giannis is, but he's younger, fits the Rockets needs better and is an obvious upgrade over one of the core guys in Jalen. If all we had to do was give up Jalen, the Phoenix picks and matching salary, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Jalen could end up being on par with Booker, but we've yet to see it and I wouldn't bet on it at this point. And giving this core a more reliable, consistent, efficient scoring guard would do wonders for us offensively.

 

Giannis and Trae while keeping Amen is my dream

 

If the Rockets could add KD by lets say giving up something like Jalen, Tari, filler, picks and you have a starting lineup of Alpi, KD, Brooks, Amen, Fred I think that lineup could get further than the 2nd round. Move Brooks for someone like Cam Johnson and make some other moves and I believe they could challenge OKC. That's just my opinion though. Rockets were 2nd in a tough west this year without a reliable go to offensive player. Alpi would go from being first option to 2nd which he should excel at. But even if a championship isn't in the cards for that group, I think you at least give yourself a shot while still giving most of your young players time to grow...So even if adding KD doesn't equal a championship you don't stunt Amen's growth...You see if Alpi has more growth in him...You still see if Jabari, Reed and maybe Cam have another level they can reach...

I don't know if you want Giannis or not, but just adding this.... You'll have to give up significantly more to get him and then you'd have to trade more to put title contending pieces around him. Giannis is possibly leaving Milwaukee because he wants to compete for titles. I love Amen, but I don't think Giannis is going to come here and see Alpi and Amen as the guys he can win a title with...If they were even the two still here...Include Alpi in the deal and I DEFINITELY don't think he's looking at Amen and Jalen as the guys he can get over the hump with. I personally don't think Houston is going to be Giannis first choice if it comes to us and San Antonio. It makes more sense and is a better fit for him to play with Wemby and Fox. Vs whatever combo of Amen, Sengun and Jalen is left.

I'm not against adding Markkanen, but you were concerned about KD not getting us past the second round and I'm not sure Markannen is someone that even gets us to the second round...especially with the way he's been trending the last couple of years. Also, I don't see Ainge just giving Markannen away for scraps. He is only 27 and though he has been trending downward, he's got a lot of ability.

 

What part of it exactly do you hate?

 

I’ve come around on Tre Young, mainly because he’s improved his defense the last couple of seasons. He was asked to do everything this yr and was playing without a #2 for half the season. As a result his shooting efficiency fell but, he’s got a good track record with the shooting. His play-making is elite and we need his scoring. This is a 3X all star and former All-NBA player who is 26 yrs old. If the Hawks are willing to deal we should see what the price is. He fills a ton of needs for us and is a significant upgrade on Fred.

 

Horrible idea. I’d rather get John Collins and/or Sexton who are better fits for us. Ainge has been trying to dump him for 2 years, that should tell you something.

 

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Hate is kind of strong, but not one player in that lineup was close to the league average 3pt% last season. I really like seeing us lock down opponents, but that might be the ugliest offense ever. We might literally have guys running into each other.

 

More like walking into each other at the speed we would be playing.

 

Where would he play? You moving Jabari our only good shooter to the bench and paying that ridiculous salary to do it.

 

When I watch Durant, I understand why you feel this way. When I look at his stats, I understand why you feel this way. But my question is this: is he really a difference maker if the difference he appears to make is that his teams are so disappointing they implode?

 

I still dont get that reasoning. Lauri isnt a number one guy even right now so Amen would be looked at to be a top option even sooner.

 

I understand that if KD can be had for relatively cheap due to his age and contract situation, it is appealing in a vacuum. It may not be the correct play, but I would rather build a team for the long-run, and by this, I mean any major move be made for a player that can play with the core for the next 5+ years. Jalen, Tari, and picks (plural) is neither cheap for a KD rental or a small move. We have amassed a pretty impressive collection of assets that if used correctly could help to build a team that could be contending for the next decade. For the same reasons, I am even more opposed to trading for Giannis if the price is anything that is being tossed around.

For sure this team is missing shooting and a go to scorer. If we are going to trade the assets you mentioned, I would expect that the player would not only being a go to scorer but also a playmaker who can elevate all the role players. This type of player should be the focus. Yeah, agreed - Lauri does not push this team into contention, but if the price is right (which it won't be), then he can grow with the core and add much needed shooting.