Two Sleeper Point Guard Trades for the Houston Rockets This NBA Offseason

Houston has to improve its depth at the point guard position, with a few underrated options in the trade market.

Mar 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have enormous decisions to make this NBA offseason, but the ultimate goal is to jump into title contention. They'll have to figure out how to fix their weaknesses, but the biggest positional disparity comes at the point guard position.

The Rockets were missing Fred VanVleet all season long, and it exposed a lack of ball security and perimeter shooting. They could look to build some depth in the backcourt with a few of their own players in trade rumors or entering free agency.

A few stars have been thrown around as to who Houston could acquire, but when analyzing the trade market, there are a few underrated point guards that could be on its radar. Here are two sleeper options as the offseason approaches:

Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans

Many people have forgotten about Murray due to a torn Achilles tendon that kept him out for over a year. He returned this past season, putting up solid numbers across 14 games. 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals on 48.4% shooting from the field is nothing to ignore.

Houston could use a taller, two-way point guard in Murray to improve both sides of the floor, but it comes at a price. In a perfect world, the Rockets can keep VanVleet while acquiring the 29-year-old, although someone from the young core (or hefty draft capital) would be the sacrifice.

If Houston can figure out a way to restructure VanVleet's contract for the second year in a row, it could get even stronger at the one. Murray also has a player option for the 2027-28 season, so combined with the recent injuries, the price to acquire him may not be as big as people think.

Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors were gauging the market for Quickley leading up to this year's deadline, so there is a possibility that it reopens this offseason. He's on a large contract, making $97.5 million across the next three years, averaging 16.4 points, four rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals on 44-37-82 shooting splits.

It's a long shot, and Houston may not have any interest, but the Rockets could theoretically package VanVleet and some salary filler to land Quickley. He's six years younger than VanVleet with more time left on his deal, although the contract size is a concern. It would reunite VanVleet with the team that took a chance and developed him into an All-Star and NBA champion.