This is trying to recreate a Harden 2.0 trade where OKC decides to roll with a Kevin Martin and Perkins over a young guy with clear star potential Don’t think OKC would come close to considering it this time around
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +7.4 ppg, -0.2 rpg, and +0.7 apg. Incoming Players Donte DiVincenzo 26 year old, 6-4, 203 lb SG from Villanova 11.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg in 21.8 minutes in 2023-2024 Quentin Grimes 23 year old, 6-5, 210 lb SG from Houston 7.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.1 apg in 19.8 minutes in 2023-2024 Outgoing Players Jock Landale 28 year old, 6-11, 255 lb C from Saint Mary's 2.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.5 apg in 8.9 minutes in 2023-2024 Reggie Bullock 32 year old, 6-6, 205 lb SG from North Carolina 2.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.5 apg in 9.3 minutes in 2023-2024 Aaron Holiday 27 year old, 6-0, 185 lb PG from UCLA 6.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.6 apg in 16.7 minutes in 2023-2024
Jerrace Walker and Buddy Hield for Dillon Brooks Indiana goes all in to improve their wing defense with a guy with 4 years of contract control and all nba defense Rockets sell high on Brooks, make a good asset management trade and allows Tari to start at SF. Buddy also gives the team much needed shooting and would probably start. FVV/Amen Hield/Jalen Tari/Cam Jabari/Jeff Green/Jerace Sengun/Deadline trade/Jerrace you can use Tate, Oladipo and Landale to go land a legit backup C at the deadline as well
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +13.1 ppg, +6.8 rpg, and +2.6 apg. Incoming Players Daniel Gafford 25 year old, 6-10, 234 lb C from Arkansas 10.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg in 26.1 minutes in 2023-2024 Deni Avdija 23 year old, 6-9, 210 lb SG from Maccabi Tel Aviv U18 (Israel) 12.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.0 apg in 27.4 minutes in 2023-2024 Patrick Baldwin, Jr. 21 year old, 6-9, 220 lb SG from Milwaukee 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.4 apg in 7.6 minutes in 2023-2024 Outgoing Players Amen Thompson 20 year old, 6-7, 200 lb G from Overtime Elite (Georgia) 5.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.8 apg in 15.5 minutes in 2023-2024 Jock Landale 28 year old, 6-11, 255 lb C from Saint Mary's 2.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.5 apg in 8.9 minutes in 2023-2024 Jae'sean Tate 28 year old, 6-4, 230 lb F from Ohio State 4.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.1 apg in 18.8 minutes in 2023-2024
I can’t imagine a reasonable scenario in which I’d trade Brooks right now. Certainly not for Heild and Walker. Brooks isn’t worth a star, obviously, but I wouldn’t want to include him in a package for anything less than a star either.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +4.9 ppg, +6.0 rpg, and +1.7 apg. Incoming Players Harrison Barnes 31 year old, 6-8, 225 lb SF from North Carolina 10.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg in 29.2 minutes in 2023-2024 Trey Lyles 28 year old, 6-9, 234 lb SF from Kentucky 7.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 apg in 20.5 minutes in 2023-2024 Alex Len 30 year old, 7-0, 250 lb C from Maryland 2.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg in 9.0 minutes in 2023-2024 Outgoing Players Dillon Brooks 27 year old, 6-6, 225 lb F from Oregon 13.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg in 31.0 minutes in 2023-2024 Jock Landale 28 year old, 6-11, 255 lb C from Saint Mary's 2.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.5 apg in 8.9 minutes in 2023-2024
Man, I could really go for a cyberx bomb right now. Heck, I’d even take a brabraball scoop. It’s too quiet.
Flip that Utah idea the other way...find a way to get Kessler playing with Bari for the Rockets. We need a backup big more than even a shooter. What good is adding additional scoring when you are giving it out the back door on defense ? Lauri is NOT getting the open looks from 3 that he's getting now in our offense..just isn't. Hey, maybe we can get Olynyk back.... we cast 'em off and then pay premium to get them back.
If we're unhappy at SG, we literally have a sweet-shooting SG that can't do much else in Cam Whitmore. Let's not acquire someone like that when there's a 19 year old exceeding expectations. We should reward that. Jalen Green would be a fine backup SG in that situation. I'm 100% sure at least one of Cam/Amen/Jalen will emerge stronger in the second half. I don't want to be holding on to some expensive veteran at that point. I'm also 100% sure we would regret not getting a good backup C all season. I feel like it's an easy way to add 1-2 wins and the standings are super tight. I'll make one exception: if we can grab Demar Derozan's expiring contract and Andre Drummond for a top 18 protected first round pick, Oladipo, Landale, Tate and Bullock I would do that. They are losing those two guys anyway, surely they would prefer a pick in the 18-22 range than watching them walk or trying to overpay them. Then look into keeping or Sign n trading or moving on from Drummond/Derozan. I don't know if an 18th pick is worth half a season of those two guys, maybe we should get a couple of second rounders back. Maybe pick swap instead. Core remains fully intact. I would then leave Jalen, Cam, Amen and Holiday to compete for backup guard minutes. There's enough minutes for about 2.5 people. I would watch FVV and Derozan's minutes prior to the playoffs. That might be a good move. Yes it pushes Jalen or Cam out a little bit, but if that ensures we make it into the playoffs, then it may be worth it for half a season seeing what's possible in their roles. Would take so much pressure off FVV/Sengun and Derozan's defense was good enough for his team to achieve a top 5 defense last season. Can't be worse than Cam/Jalen, especially under Udoka, especially on a team where he's re-energized. Sengun/Drummond Jabari/Tari/Green Brooks/Tari/Amen/Cam Derozan/Cam/Jalen FVV/Amen/Holiday
