Man, I just don't know about unprotected picks and I love the player we're targeting here .... But to me, unprotected picks are nearly out of the question except for a true superstar like Ant or SGA. Murphy is a couple steps below that ..... and I'd want some protections - something like top 4 on the first and last and top 1 on the middle pick. And we still won't have a #1 to hitch our wagon to.
Jakučionis was the one guy I wanted in that draft .... Would be nice to have a guard rotation that wasn't comprised of midgets that can't score at the rim, can't play defense or are limited in some other way.
Rockets look like they're trying to win off the sum of their parts a la Detroit in the 2000's. Problem is Rasheed, Ben, Tayshaun, Rip and Chauncey are all better than everyone on the team outside of Durant. Rockets just don't have good enough personnel all the way around. It's like they're all B- players.
1) 3 team trade: HOU - TOR - LAC LAC: FVV (HOU) + DFS (HOU) + Steven Adams (HOU) + 2028 HOU FRP (top 5 protected) Clippers potentially open cap space so as to do a franchise reset. Pick up a FRP in a draft where they currently have none. Clips create a solid vet bench in one transaction. TOR: Capela (HO) + 2027 SRP (via HOU) Raps pick up some draft capital and front court depth for 3rd string players. HOU: Darius Garland (LAC) + Jordan Battle (TOR) + Sandro Mamukelashvili (TOR) 2) use NTMLE on Quentin Grimes (3 years, $45M / $14M - $15M - $16M) 3) re-sign Tari Eason for 4 years, $87M ($19.5M, $21M, $22.5M, $24M) TO on Year 3 / PO on Year 4 2026 - 2027 Houston Rockets Garland - Sheppard - Holiday Amen - Grimes - Thornton KD - Battle - ??? Bari - Tari - Unc Sengun -Mamukelashvili - Cluff Half-court: Garland - Grimes - Battle - KD - Sengun Run & Fun: Shep - Amen - Tari - Bari - Mamukelashvili
And that is precisely why I'd move any of them for the right deal - I'm not attached to any of these flawed players.
Houston - New Orleans - Sacramento - Philly Houston - Eason S&T to Philly Philly Grimes S&T to Houston Houston - FVV to New Orleans Sacramento - Sabonis to New Orleans New Orleans - Murphy to Houston Zion to Sacramento Add picks from Houston & Sacramento to New Orleans ....
So since he was limited to 4th percentile at rim efficiency and 15th percentile in rim attempts per possession, and was a turnover machine, one can safely say that he would not have fixed the problem last season. He was basically a catch and shoot threat for the heat that occasionally would attack closeouts and get to the line when he wasn't throwing the ball to the other team. He was on my short list for guys last year before trading for Durant. He might be good long term. He was basically Aaron Holiday like production despite being taller last year.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: -0.1 ppg, -4.1 rpg, and -0.2 apg. Incoming Players Patrick Williams 24 year old, 6-6, 235 lb G from Florida State 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.5 apg in 20.5 minutes in 2025-2026 Outgoing Players Dorian Finney-Smith 33 year old, 6-7, 220 lb SF from Florida 3.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 16.8 minutes in 2025-2026 Clint Capela 32 year old, 6-10, 256 lb PF from Chalon-Sur-Saone (France) 3.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.7 apg in 12.3 minutes in 2025-2026
Miles Bridges to Phoenix Jun. 28, 2026, 10:57 AM PDT Shams Charania: BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick,sources tell ESPN. x.com
