After hiring Ime Udoka, the Houston Rockets were a popular pick to launch into a new stratosphere last season. We did see a massive improvement, going from 22 wins to 41, but Houston still had a problem in that they missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
Yet, after seeing that type of leap, now expectations are even higher as Udoka enters his second season leading the Rockets. One way this group can advance to the next level of play is simply by developing from within, as much of their core is either 22 years old or younger. That group includes Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr, Amen Thompson, and the recently drafted Reed Sheppard.
However, since the Rockets have such a deep pool of young talent, they almost have another problem on their hands, with not enough minutes to go around. That shouldn’t impact the starters; they’ll still get their regular run, but developing key role players could be tricky with rotational minutes being inconsistent.
Another way the Rockets could take the next step as a team is by packaging some of their young talent in exchange for a bonafide star. This could be a great solution for Houston, as they have no shortage of tradeable assets.
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Houston Rockets shopping Jalen Green for superstar talent
According to Clutch Points NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Rockets have been very open to discussing trades involving shooting guard Jalen Green. He’s eligible to sign a rookie-level extension this offseason, but if Green goes unsigned, he’ll enter restricted free agency next year.
However, the Rockets could look to get ahead of contract negotiations by finding a trade partner for the former No. 2 overall pick, who’s averaged 19.8 points per game in his career.
“At some point, Houston is going to make a move on the trade market. This organization is looking to significantly upgrade their roster and make a legitimate playoff push during the upcoming season. How Sheppard has played in Las Vegas, as well as how he begins the new season off the bench, will have a direct impact on Green’s future with the organization.
While many in Houston still believe in Green’s abilities to be a featured long-term scoring option for them at the shooting guard position, the Rockets have shown more of a willingness to discuss his name in trade situations around the league, sources said. Houston has not attempted to move Green, other than for Bridges last season, his future is certainly more in question than that of Alperen Sengun, whom the organization views as a top-five center in the NBA right now.” – Brett Siegel on Houston Rockets discussing Jalen Green trades
A trade involving Sengun is always another possibility, but the addition of Reed Sheppard with the third overall pick makes Green more expendable. Add in the pending large contract extension, and the Rockets could see far more value in moving on from Green sooner than later.
Meanwhile, Sheppard was one of the Vegas Summer League standouts, averaging 20 PPG while shooting 50% from the field. That too could make Houston more likely to move on from Green.
While they’ve had difficulties finding that star talent worth trading Green for, there shouldn’t be any shortage of suitors interested in adding the potential future All-Star to their roster. Any team looking for a significant scoring punch would likely be intrigued, but not every team is willing to trade a superstar-type talent, which makes finding a trade partner difficult.
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