Rockets Trade Deadline Big Board: 7 Targets Ranked by Fit, Cost and Urgency

The Houston Rockets sit in a precarious position in the Western Conference.

They pushed chips in this offseason, acquiring a superstar scorer in Kevin Durant in hopes of ascending to the top of the Western Conference. Issue being, they haven't done that just yet, sitting fourth in the standings behind all their major rivals.

Injuries to lead guard Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams have hampered the team's plans, but with the trade deadline coming up, they could add more talent in hopes of getting back on track.

Here is Rockets on SI’s trade deadline big board, featuring seven names ranked by fit, cost and urgency:

7. Jose Alvarado, Pelicans

The first of Houston’s potential targets would be Jose Alvarado, a player they’ve been linked to in recent weeks.

The fifth-year guard seems to have value outside of New Orleans, offering some scoring, shooting, play-making and defense, albeit within a 6-foot frame. He could certainly help Houston in a few areas, but his size is the drawback, and that goes tenfold for a Rockets team that has already struggled with mismatches here and there.

Alvarado isn’t a sparkling fit, but could be an insurance buy-low until Fred VanVleet can return.

6. Dennis Schroder, Kings

Dennis Schroder’s already played a stint would Houston, and it likely wouldn’t take much to see him back in Rockets’ red.

Without VanVleet, the Rockets are missing a steady handling presence, which Schroder could provide as one of the more journeyed players in the league. He’s played 13 seasons with eight different teams, but has offered his patented skills at each stop, scoring, setting up teammates and playing better-than-expected defense.

Schroder wouldn’t galvanize Houston, but would be a cost-effective guard option to end the season with.

5. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks

Having played impactful basketball in Dallas’ 2024 Finals run, Daniel Gafford is one of a few dream bigs for Houston.

He’s a physical presence on the interior, a solid rim runner at double-digit scoring over the last handful of years, and a fine rim-protector, averaging 1.8 blocks per game across his last four seasons.

The issue with a Rockets-Gafford pairing is the cost, as he’s likely to draw interest from dozens of teams across the league. The Mavericks are very likely to undergo a fire sale of sorts in the coming weeks, and Gafford could be the first domino to fall, driving his price higher than Houston wants to pay for a backup big.

4. Tre Jones, Bulls

Chicago’s Tre Jones is amid one of his best seasons, showing off a few skills that could aid Houston. He’s scored 12.4 points per game on efficient 55% shooting overall, dishing 5.8 assists to just 1.4 turnovers per game.

Jones could clearly help Houston from a handling perspective, able to tout the rock and play-make for others in the full or half-court. He takes care of the ball and is a great decision-maker.

Jones also isn’t likely to cost a fortune, given a few other Bulls are likely more sought-after on the market. The issue with Jones is his 3-point shooting, at just 33% on 1.7 attempts per game, it isn’t likely to help the Rockets’ spacing at all.

3. Goga Bitadze, Magic

Moving back to frontcourt help, Orlando’s 6-foot-11 big in Goga Bitadze is an interesting, potentially gettable option.

After playing 20 minutes per game last season, he’s back down to 16 this year, and there’s been some speculation the Magic could look to move his cost-controlled contract. He’s an efficient scorer, but could serve the Rockets best as a rebounder, grabbing over five per game in limited minutes.

Bitadze’s offensive rebounding would be the real selling point, at nearly five offensive boards per 36 minutes.

It’s currently not known what exactly the Magic would want for Bitadze. But given they too want to win, they’ll likely want something tangible in return.

2. Jusuf Nurkic, Jazz

Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic is amid a breakout season on a few fronts, scoring double-digit points, grabbing double-digit rebounds, and notably doubling his assists per game.

Utah is currently working through a rebuild, and it’s easy to envision the franchise selling high on Nurkic as they look to land a top pick at the 2026 NBA Draft.

From a scoring and rebounding perspective, Nurkic could clearly help the Rockets post-Adams injury, and his passing adds an interesting wrinkle.

Others are sure to have taken notice of Nurkic’s improvements, and there could be a small bidding war for who lands a serviceable postseason big.

1. Coby White, Bulls

Coby White is one of Chicago’s best players, and even accounting for the potentially steep cost — potentially one or more first round picks, and even young players — he still ranks as Houston’s top trade target.

White is averaging 18.8 points and 4.7 assists per game this season, offering exactly what Houston needs in terms of half court creation, shooting ability at over seven triples attempted per game, and play-making.

He’s a muddy defensive fit on a roster that’s already gotten worse defensively, but there’s little doubt he fills some holes.

This is the most costly option listed, something the Rockets would have to thing about before pulling the trigger.