Reports earlier in the week indicated that Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta wanted to shed some salary as a way to save cash against the NBA’s luxury tax model.
That might no longer be the case. Houston is currently engaged in what would be a four-team deal that would send star forward Robert Covington from Minnesota to the Rockets. The same deal would also include starting center Clint Capela heading to the Atlanta Hawks.
According to this report from NBA insider Jabari Young, Fertitta is not happy about Houston’s standing as the fifth seed in the Western Conference and has given general manager Daryl Morey financial freedom to pull off any viable trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
This was part of a larger report indicating that there’s talks between the Timberwolves, Rockets, Warriors and Hawks that would represent one heck of a blockbuster.
Primarily, Andrew Wiggins and draft picks heading to Golden State with D’Angelo Russell finding himself in Minnesota, Capela heading to the Hawks and Covington as well as a center being dealt to Houston.
The Rockets have assets on the roster to improve their supporting case behind the star-studded backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. In addition to Capela, that includes veterans Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker.
The trade deadline is Thursday. Expect the 31-18 Rockets to pull off a notable deal before then.