Rockets Make Zero Moves at NBA Trade Deadline. What Now?

After a wild week of moves, the NBA trade has officially passed, with teams no longer able to swap assets. This year's deadline was filled with blockbuster transactions and a shift in direction from many teams.

While it would have been fun to write about a Houston Rockets trade deadline recap, that will not happen this year. The team decided to stay silent, not making any moves ahead of Feb. 5.

The Rockets had a few options on the table, but decided to play out the 2025-26 season with their current roster. After losing Steven Adams to season-ending ankle surgery, he and Fred VanVleet will be the rotation pieces not competing in the rest of the regular season.

There were reports and rumors of Houston targeting replacements leading up to the deadline. The Rockets were reportedly in negotiations with the Chicago Bulls regarding Coby White, but after he was moved to the Charlotte Hornets, eyes turned to Ayo Dosunmu as a potential replacement.

That did not end up happening, as the 26-year-old was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves the morning of the deadline.

So Houston didn't make a single move. What now? The obvious answer to that is that it will play out the rest of the season with the rotation it has. But looking a bit deeper, there's a bit of concern.

The Rockets' lack of a point guard has been glaring throughout the season. They rank 26th in turnover percentage, failing to initiate offense and move the ball as well as some of the other top teams. The deadline was supposed to come with a solution, but alas, Houston could not find a substitute for VanVleet or Adams.

That leaves the Rockets to figure out how to mitigate mistakes ahead of the playoffs. They're still in a solid spot at 31-18, good for the fourth seed in a crowded Western Conference. The LA Clippers were the only team of the 15 that moved in a rebuilding direction at the deadline, so the West is still extremely tight, and will be for the rest of the regular season.

Houston could certainly look toward the buyout for options. The Toronto Raptors are expected to waive Chris Paul after he was traded from the Clippers, and the Utah Jazz are expected to waive Lonzo Ball after he was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those are certainly names to keep an eye on before the playoff eligibility deadline on March 1.

If the Rockets do not pick up any talent, they'll have to figure out how to navigate the competition with a lack of facilitation. They've relied on a committee at point guard, including Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.