Houston Rockets | Game Theory Offseason Preview - Game Theory Podcast w/ Sam Vecenie

Could be a possibility to include a 3rd team to facilitate the Giannis trade.

 

...not only that but for all of Tari's strengths, he ALSO kills his own team on the regular with bonehead plays fouling 3t shooters and blown layups. He's still a good player, but to those who watch his games, those warts are nearly as prominent as the defensive bullying and 50/50 ball recovery plays. Combine THAT with his injury history and I don't think he is anywhere in the ballpark of making what Bari will be making.

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25202494-ranking-5-nba-teams-best-trade-assets

Ranking the 5 NBA Teams with the Best Trade Assets
2. Houston Rockets

Notable Positive-Value Contracts: Alperen Sengün (five years, $185 million), Jalen Green (three years, $105.3 million), Dillon Brooks (two years, $41.1 million)

Notable Expiring 2025-26 Salaries: Fred VanVleet ($44.9 million; TO), Jock Landale ($8 million; NG)

2025 Picks: 10, 59

Incoming Future First-Round Picks: All of their own, 2027 swap (BKN), 2027 via PHX, 2029 (two most favorable of own, DAL and PHX)

Outgoing Future First-Round Picks: 2026 to OKC (protected 1-4)

The Rockets have a little bit of everything, but their very best assets are their rookie-scale contracts. Between Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore, they can put together a package of young, cost-controlled players tailor-made for any team looking to offload a veteran star.

Thompson alone would be one of the most sought-after rookie-scale players in the entire league. That's part of the reason why the Rockets would work hard to keep him out of any deals, but it illustrates his value.

The calculus will change on all those players once they ink extensions in the next few offseasons, but the Rockets proved they could keep their homegrown talent in the cases of Sengün and Green, the first of which is a rare All-Star on a sub-max second deal. It's unrealistic to think Houston will retain everybody it selected over the last handful of first rounds, but plenty of other teams will be interested in taking those players on.

That 2027 Suns pick has specific value, in that it might be the single asset Phoenix wants most if it's going to trade Kevin Durant or Devin Booker.

 

10-man rotation:

Sengun
Bari
Amen/Tari/Dillon/Cam
Jalen/Holiday
Fred/Reed

this roster is super imbalanced, but can apparently win 52 games in the West. Just think how good we’d be if we balanced it out, or had a real #1 scoring option.