The NBA trade deadline is less than three weeks away and it has been widely rumored that while the Rockets may not be frontline players, they are looking to upgrade at at least a couple positions. It is no secret that they have shortcomings both in terms of length in the front court and shooting.
There have been a number of players rumored to be on the Rockets radar including Hawks center (and former Rocket) Clint Capela, Utah sixth man Jordan Clarkson, Pistons sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and even Grizzlies stud Marcus Smart. But, who is on the chopping block when it comes to the Rockets?
Let’s first dismiss the notion that any of the starters would be available. This is a team that is learning together, so their three youngsters in Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith, Jr. aren’t going anywhere. Ditto for Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, who signed in the offseason.
Beyond those, the two rookies — Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson — are safe as is reliable wing Tari Eason. Beyond that, everyone should be available and, believe it or not, there are plenty of options. Let’s look at the most likely three.
Jae’Sean Tate
Tate has been and remains one of the teams most energetic players. He is a tenacious defender and is very good offensively around the basket. The problem for Tate is that he is an undersized forward who doesn’t shoot particularly well on a team frankly full of those. With the rise of Eason and Whitmore, Tate’s minutes are being squeezed. Tate only has one more year on his deal after this one at a modest $7 million. Any team, particularly a contender looking for a bench spark plug with defensive skills, would love to have someone like Tate on their squad. Right now, outside of their young and rising players, Tate is their most valuable trade asset.
Odds He is Traded: 65 percent
Jock Landale
The Rockets made a mistake signing the Aussie big man in the offseason. Landale had solid backup minutes in Phoenix and appeared to be a guy who could help a team struggling to find size. Unfortunately, he has largely felt like a square peg in a round hole in Houston. Despite good size, Landale doesn’t appear to excel at anything in particular. But, as a big off the bench player in a role confined to rebounding, particularly on a team that would use him sparingly with veterans in front of him, he could be a good fit.
Odds He is Traded: 75 percent
Victor Oladipo
You may have even forgotten he was on the Rockets roster, but the Rockets re-acquired the wing man in July in a deal with Oklahoma City. Oladipo was originally a Rocket in 2021, coming over as part of the James Harden trade, but it never quite worked out here and he was eventually traded to the Heat. Currently, Oladipo remains injured and is unlikely to play for the Rockets this season, but he is in the last year of his contract, making those expiring terms valuable to a team that may want to get under the salary cap in the offseason.
Odds He is Traded: 50/50
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
