ROCKETS AT A CROSSROADS: Sacrifice Young Core for a Win Now Move
The Houston Rockets are on a great trajectory at this point in their rebuild, tied for the second seed in the Western Conference with a 43-25 record. As the playoff race heats up, Houston is in a dogfight with the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 2 seed. Of those four teams, the worst record loses home-court advantage in the postseason.
No one expected the Rockets to be this good so quickly. After years of lottery picks following the James Harden era, Houston has built a young core of homegrown talent from 2020 to now. It’s all culminating to success under head coach Ime Udoka.
However, Houston has shown cracks in the system, as most young teams have in the past. A six-game losing streak in February brought the Rockets down to Earth, allowing the other three teams to catch up, and now Houston’s postseason could realistically range anywhere from a first-round exit to a Western Conference Finals appearance.
The two biggest aspects this team lacks are a superstar player and more experience. While Houston has veterans such as Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams, none of the three are good enough to lead the Rockets through the playoffs. With a slew of stars potentially up for trade this summer, Houston has the pieces to make a move.
It sounds impatient to say the Rockets should make a win-now move this offseason, but they can make such a trade while keeping the biggest pieces of the team intact. Houston has such a deep core that first-round picks such as Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore don’t play all that often. If the Rockets wanted to go after a star such as Kevin Durant, who has been on their radar, they could sell a few of their young players and picks and still have plenty left over.
General manager Rafael Stone has been extremely patient with Houston’s rotation of young talent, and it has paid off this season. However, the time to bite may be soon, as the Rockets have built up draft and roster capital to make a blockbuster without serious risk. It would cost a lot for any other team, but Houston wouldn’t give up much compared to what it already has.
