Rockets Have a Decision to Make Regarding Center Depth

Houston has a short rotation which has taken a toll on the team's center depth.

Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have been on a roll to start the season with a 29-14 record. Houston has had plenty of significant wins and has one of the best defenses in the NBA with a 107.8 rating, good for third in the league. On the flip side, the Rockets' offense has been efficient as well with a 113.9 rating, placing ninth in the NBA.

While the Rockets have one of the strongest teams in the league, a question that has lingered throughout the regular season has been the center rotation. Houston was expected to have one of the deepest teams in the league before the start of the season, but the only bench players averaging more than 17 minutes per game are Amen Thompson and Tari Eason.

Thompson has stepped into the starting lineup with Jabari Smith Jr. out with a broken hand, which means that other players such as Cam Whitmore and Steven Adams have received more minutes as of late. Adams has been backing up starting center Alperen Sengun, and while he has had some good games, the veteran has seen a noticeable decline as he's aged.

That begs the question: what does Houston do regarding its center rotation? The Feb. 6 trade deadline is less than two weeks away, which means if the Rockets want to make a move, it'll have to come soon.

According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, Houston began "exploratory trade talks" with the Portland Trail Blazers regarding center Robert Williams III. The defensive anchor has continued to be productive this season despite having a limited role, and would be a definite upgrade for the Rockets.

The Rockets and Trail Blazers recently conducted exploratory trade talks centered on Robert Williams.

Houston is openly shopping Jock Landale’s non-guaranteed multi-year contract in order to upgrade their frontcourt.

Portland has strong interest from contenders on Williams. pic.twitter.com/5WCYHt4IUH

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 21, 2025

The Rockets are not expected to make any moves regarding their young core, but upgrading the center rotation would emphasize championship-contending status. Williams would fit in seamless with head coach Ime Udoka's system, as he would compliment Houston's defensive success.

The Rockets could also stray away from making any moves and run with the same group for the rest of the season. It isn't necessarily the 'wrong' decision, but there is an opportunity for an upgrade that wouldn't cost much.

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