Rockets Did Good Job at Trade Deadline

The Houston Rockets made their mark during this year's trade deadline.

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) looks to moves the ball past Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets were a little busy during the trade deadline, making separate deals with the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks for end-of-roster players.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes that the Rockets did a good job with their trade deadline.

"The Houston Rockets netted Springer and a 2030 second-rounder by essentially taking the 22-year-old's $4 million salary into part of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception," Hughes writes.

"Though the prospect of another rugged defender was intriguing, the Rockets determined they needed the roster spot for Zeller. Waiving Springer allowed them to add another second-rounder by absorbing Zeller's money from Atlanta.

"Critics clamoring for a lower grade will need to base their takes on "road not taken" stances. Those feel unfair, as the Rockets consistently signaled they intended to let their core develop without a big-swing disruption this season."

The Rockets could have done more, swapping out some of their future trade capital for more win-now players. However, the Rockets want to see how far their current group can go before figuring out what changes need to be made.

The Rockets have gone through this rebuild over the past few years, and they find themselves in a position to make an upgrade, but it's important to learn what and why something needs to be changed instead of making a move just for the sake of it.

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