Rockets' Jae'Sean Tate 'Important Piece' to Puzzle

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets went through a major roster overhaul Saturday afternoon.

To make room for several veterans they signed during free agency, the Rockets departed from a handful of players, headlined by K.J. Martin. Houston shipped the second-generation forward to the Los Angeles Clippers for a pair of second-round picks.

The Rockets' frontcourt went through significant changes following the acquisition of Dillon Brooks. But according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, coach Ime Udoka has an idea on how to use veteran forward Jae'Sean Tate, who has enticed trade interest from teams.

"Rival teams that have inquired about Jae’Sean Tate’s availability at various points in the offseason have all been left with the impression that he’s considered an important piece of Ime Udoka’s puzzle." Iko said.

Tate has established himself as an essential piece of the Rockets' rebuild. He signed with the franchise after going undrafted during the 2020 NBA Draft and has since taken the role as one of the Rockets' top defensive players and veteran leaders.

An ongoing ankle injury that limited Tate to 31 games made the 2022-23 campaign a down year. But when healthy, Tate proved he would be a great fit to take on Udoka’s defensive philosophy.

During his introductory press conference in April, Udoka described his coaching ideology as toughness, respectability, accountability, and defense. Each important attribute for Udoka describes Tate as a player.

In 179 career games with the Rockets, Tate has averaged 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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