Analyst Believes Rockets Made Mistake at Trade Deadline
The Houston Rockets were rather quiet at the NBA Trade Deadline last month, opting not to make a major move to improve the roster.
However, that may be a decision that the Rockets could come to regret.
Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey believes that the Rockets should have traded Fred VanVleet and draft picks for a star.
“From the moment the Houston Rockets signed Fred VanVleet to his three-year, $128.5 million contract in 2023, it felt like he was destined to become a trade chip,” Bailey writes.
“With the emergence of Amen Thompson as a playmaker—he’s averaged 5.9 assists over his last 17 games—it might make sense to move FVV.
“Houston, like Detroit, has some picks to move. It also has young, intriguing talent in Cam Whitmore and Jabari Smith Jr. VanVleet, picks and one or two of those up-and-comers could be enough to entice a team like the Pelicans to move Zion or the Utah Jazz to move Lauri Markkanen (whose trade restriction expired just after the deadline).”
The Rockets like VanVleet, but Thompson appears to be the team’s future at the point guard position. VanVleet has a team option this offseason that should be accepted because it will give the team the opportunity to keep or trade him in a deal similar to the ones recommended above.
The Rockets want to see how this roster performs in a playoff setting before making any massive moves. Once they find out what their weaknesses are in the postseason, they can make a trade to counterbalance those shortcomings.
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