Rockets Reportedly Not Considering Trades or Roster Changes

The Houston Rockets have consistently been one of the NBA's most active teams on the trade front. Regardless of the general manager, it's been the same.

Carroll Dawson.

And especially Daryl Morey, who was always seemingly star hunting. Even for players later in their careers.

Rafael Stone has been one of the league's better GMs, especially on the trade front, as he's always sought to identify opportunities to buy low, swooping in to acquire a talent who can be had for much less than what they may be worth.

Take Kevin Porter Jr., for example. It ultimately didn't work out, largely because of his maturity, or lack thereof, but Houston was willing to cut ties because they didn't particularly invest much in him, from an assets or draft capital standpoint.

All told, Houston traded a top-55 protected second-round pick for Porter, which was never going to convey.

Less than two years earlier, the Cavaliers traded four second-round picks to move up in the draft to select him.

Kevin Durant is another example and a much more recent one.

Stone and the Rockets' front office gave up five second-round draft picks, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the tenth overall pick in this past draft for Durant -- a future Hall of Famer who has averaged 25 points or more in 17 consecutive seasons (including this season).

That's a fraction of what one would expect to be the asking price for Durant.

Although the Rockets could certainly use Brooks, especially considering how he's been playing this season for the Phoenix Suns.

This season's Rockets, with Durant, have had a roller-coaster of a season.

It's been a bumpy ride.

Houston has proven capable of hanging with the big dogs -- victories over the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, in addition to overtime losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons, not to mention a close battle against the San Antonio Spurs.

They've also proven to let their foot off the gas and play down to the level of competition against teams that aren't as talented as them -- losses to the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and LA Clippers.

Houston could use a playmaking point guard. It was known when Fred VanVleet went down in September.

But the Rockets seemingly had to wait until December 15th, which is when the moratorium was lifted, enabling teams to trade players who were recently signed.

That also gave the Rockets' brass an opportunity to see how the season would unfold.

According to Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, Houston’s brass won't be making any moves, at the very least until closer to January.

"Houston is another team in the West's top six that could use a backcourt boost in the wake of Fred VanVleet's season-ending knee injury sustained in September and also obviously ranks as one of [Chris] Paul's former employers. Yet sources say that the Rockets aren't really weighing changes to their team at the moment and don't anticipate doing so until closer to the end of January thanks to the very limited breathing space they have (roughly $1.2 million) beneath the first apron."

Fischer has consistently reported this, reporting this week that Houston has grown rather impressed with Reed Sheppard of late, which could factor into their trade plans this season.

The path to adding a big name gets complicated, as the Rockets would essentially have to use Fred VanVleet as trade ballast to open up $25 million, but a no-trade clause by VanVleet seemingly makes that impossible.