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

Honestly I like the Devin Booker option because he fits in nicely with our timeline. Send Jalen to the Suns and get a player who gives us what we need.

The only reason Im not saying Giannis is because we dont have any shooting on this team.

 

The Rockets need to move away from all the drunken euro barn ballers.

 

I think we have enough assets to pull Kyrie, KD, and Harden in.

Can you imagine how good this big 3 would be? They would take the league by storm

 

Need more options for option 1. There were always at east 3.

 

KD.

Middle ground between not getting rid of multiple young guys and picks but also immediately helping with the teams biggest weakness.

KD and Cam Johnson would be my targets.

But I feel like I've seen this thread before just with different poll options.

 

Kd and Giannis

m0ney w0rks

1 0r 2 1st round picks, a few sec0nds maybe

 

Weird poll.
Asking for specifics without giving specific details.

Answer: it depends.

 

Lamelo Ball if the trade package is centered around Jalen and picks to match value. My impression of him is he does not seem like a serious player, but I could be wrong. Has massive potential and is young. A change of sceneory and with Ime as the coach could reign him in to playing winning basketball.

If not, don't trade for a star. Make smaller moves to add shooting and playmaking.

 

Does anyone think Maxey might be available for a massive return? He is the next SGA like player. Give them anybody they want outside of Amen PLUS future first round picks - that would make them highly competitive in the East at least through the next 3 years(ish) and set themselves up nicely to be a potential trade partner for virtually anyone over the next 4 years with young players, draft capital, AND a whole slew of tradable contracts OR for a quick rebuild.

It feels to me like Embid and George are probably two of the least tradable assets in the NBA - Morey has one asset of any value, Maxey so this is about diversifying his portfolio so to speak.....I suppose if you squint hard enough, maybe Jared McCain has value although contextually he was coming from a very weak draft class - I don't think he is a young player people are dying to acquire just yet. This just seems like a very top heavy, fragile roster destined to be the next Phoenix if Morey doesn't do something quickly.

 

As much as I’d love LaMelo his injuries concern me. Give me trae young.

 

If this is the best we got, stand pat for now.

Why can’t I just get a competent SG in here? Or not return the same backcourt? I’m not asking for a whole lot.


1A. Acquire nobody, or only make small moves. Run it back.
1B. Acquire Kevin Durant, give Phoenix a moderate trade return.
2. Acquire Devin Booker, give Phoenix a significant trade return.
3. Acquire Zach LaVine, give Sacramento a minimal trade return.
4. Acquire Trae Young, give Atlanta a significant trade return.
5. Acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, give Milwaukee a massive trade return.
6. Acquire Ja Morant, give Memphis a significant trade return.
7. Acquire Jaylen Brown, give Boston a significant trade return.
8. Acquire LaMelo Ball, give Charlotte a significant trade return.

or something like that?

Spoiler

Acquire nobody, or only make small moves. Run it back.

Acquire Kevin Durant, give Phoenix a moderate trade return.
•Age 37 season
•2025-26: $54,708,609
•Games played last 3 years: 62-75-47 (most recent season first for all; so for KD, 62 games in 2024-25)
•Awards last 3 years: 3x all-star; 2023-24 All-NBA 2nd team
•2024-25: 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists | 52.7/43/83.9/64.2 TS | 117 ORtg 119 DRtg, 21.2 PER, 5.2 WS, 3.2 BPM, 3.0 VORP

Acquire Devin Booker, give Phoenix a significant trade return.
•Age 29, 30, 31 seasons
•2025-26: $53,142,264
•2026-27: $57,078,728
•2027-28: $61,015,192
•Games played last 3 years: 75-68-53
•Awards last 3 years: 2023-24 all-star; 2023-24 All-NBA 3rd team
•2024-25: 25.6 points, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds | 46.1/33.2/89.4/58.9 TS | 119 ORtg 123 DRtg, 19.3 PER, 6.4 WS, 0.4 BPM, 1.7 VORP

Acquire Zach LaVine, give Sacramento a minimal trade return.
•Age 30, 31 seasons
•2025-26: $47,499,660
•2026-27: $48,967,380 (player option)
•Games played last 3 years: 74-25-77
•No awards last 3 years
•2024-25: 23.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists | 51.1/44.6/82.5/63.9 TS | 116 ORtg 119 DRtg, 17.3 PER, 5.1 WS, 0.7 BPM, 1.8 VORP

Acquire Trae Young, give Atlanta a significant trade return.
•Age 27, 28 seasons
•2025-26: $45,999,660
•2026-27: $48,967,380 (player option)
•Games played last 3 years: 76-54-73
•Awards last 3 years: 2x all-star
•2024-25: 24.2 points, 11.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds | 41.1/34/87.5/56.7 TS | 114 ORtg 119 DRtg, 18.3 PER, 5.7 WS, 0.5 BPM, 1.7 VORP

Acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, give Milwaukee a massive trade return.
•2025-26: $54,126,450
•2026-27: $58,456,566
•2027-28: $62,786,682
•Age 31, 32, 33 seasons
•Games played last 3 years: 67-73-63
•Awards last 3 years: 3x all-star; 2x All-NBA 1st team
•2024-25: 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists | 60.1/22.2/61.7/62.5 TS | 122 ORtg 109 DRtg, 30.5 PER, 11.5 WS, 9.5 BPM, 6.6 VORP

Acquire Ja Morant, give Memphis a significant trade return.
•Age 26, 27, 28 seasons
•2025-26: $39,446,090
•2026-27: $42,166,510
•2027-28: $44,886,930
•Games played last 3 years: 50-9-61
•Awards last 3 years: 2022-23 all-star
•2024-25: 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds | 45.4/30.9/82.4/56.3 TS | 113 ORtg 115 DRtg, 19.3 PER, 3.5 WS, 2.4 BPM, 1.7 VORP

Acquire Jaylen Brown, give Boston a significant trade return.
•Age 29, 30, 31, 32 seasons
•2025-26: $53,142,264
•2026-27: $57,078,728
•2027-28: $61,015,192
•2028-29: $64,951,656
•Games played last 3 years: 63-70-67
•Awards last 3 years: 2023-24 NBA Champion; 2023-24 Finals MVP; 2023-24 EC Finals MVP; 3x all-star; 2022-23 All-NBA 2nd team
•2024-25: 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists | 46.3/32.4/76.4/55.5 TS | 112 ORtg 112 DRtg, 17.8 PER, 5.2 WS, 0.0 BPM, 1.1 VORP

Acquire LaMelo Ball, give Charlotte a significant trade return.
•Age 24, 25, 26, 27 seasons
•2025-26: $37,958,760
•2026-27: $40,770,520
•2027-28: $43,582,280
•2028-29: $46,394,040
•Games played last 3 years: 47-22-36
•No awards last 3 years
•2024-25: 25.2 points, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds | 40.5/33.9/84.3/53.6 TS | 108 ORtg 117 DRtg, 19.1 PER, 2.0 WS, 3.2 BPM, 2.0 VORP

 

It all depends on the players going out. Impossible to answer. But I get the vibes.

 

Proud member of the Run It Back gang. We all get free hats and meet every other Sunday afternoon at Shoney's.

 

My thoughts:

There is no way we will be acquiring Trae or even Ja for as long as Udoka is coach. He would HATE them.

LaMelo Ball and Zach Lavine are nearly as bad at defense, but at least they have the physical tools for Ime to perhaps turn either of them into a serviceable defensive player.

The only way you can talk me into Durant is if they're giving him away as a salary dump. I just don't trust a guy whose led his last two super teams to such a dark and disappointing place that they completely imploded. Especially after the way he bailed on the Thunder to ride Steph, Dray and Klay's coattails and never seemed to fit in there because they thought he was soft. He's old and injury prone and I would not be on board to give up any young players or draft picks for him for that reason. Any. Not one. I know most people think that's crazy, but I think he's a loser and he's not the guy to lead us. But his stature is such that he would be our leader if he joined our roster.

Giannis - He is an amazing player, but I think they'd have to dismember the team to make it happen and I'm not trying to be Milwaukee with worse shooting.

Devin Booker - he had a disappointing season, but at least he's closer to the timeline, and has the height, strength and IQ that makes me a little more confident that he could become a serviceable team defender. I just think Phoenix will demand an arm and a leg, and do we want to give that for a guy coming off a terrible season?

Jaylen Brown - to me, he's kind of interesting. He's a two-way player with a championship resume and I wonder how many teams want to take on his outrageous salary. It makes me wonder if we could get him while giving up little. I'd be interested if that's the case. And we know he's an Ime guy. Would be a massive improvement over our current Jalen.

 

Maxey will cost a haul and require you to take on somebody like Paul George, I bet.

 

I’m not sure Booker is available, but I think Booker, Amen, Sengun surrounded by additional shooters and hard nosed defenders could really be something special for the next 6 yrs.

I’m okay with something more incremental as long as we don’t run it back with the same backcourt.

 

It’s Gianni’s or Durant for me.