Rockets Have Trade Assets Galore For Blockbuster Deal

The Houston Rockets are a team to watch this offseason with all of the trade assets they have to make a big move.

The Athletic insider John Hollinger believes they are the likeliest team to make such a trade this offseason.

"Houston also can put more assets into a trade than any team this side of Oklahoma City. I already mentioned the possibilities of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but the Rockets also could be players for somebody like Devin Booker — via the two unprotected Phoenix picks they own in 2027 and 2029 — or virtually anyone else they’re interested in engaging on," Hollinger wrote.

"While Kevin Durant’s age would seem to make less sense, the inevitable reality is that some superstar who fits Houston’s timeline will become unhappy at some point in the next 12 months. Houston’s cap and asset sheet is pounce-ready; virtually any combination of players and assets can work in a deal depending on the tastes of their trade partner and the status of the player in question.

"This season, however, shows that the time for patience is over. Houston can keep this group together and make the playoffs every year ad infinitum, but it seems unlikely a playoff-level leading man who can drag them into June will emerge from this group. Between now and the next trade deadline, the mission in Space City is to use Houston’s superior asset trove to find the right one."

The question is no longer if, but when and who. There are a lot of different directions the Rockets can go in, and it's up to general manager Rafael Stone to figure out what is the best path forward for Houston.