Houston Rockets Trade Rumors: Alec Burks for Victor Oladipo?

The Houston Rockets traded Kevin Porter Jr. to the Oklahoma City Thunder with two things in mind: shore up their depth and get Porter out of Houston as soon as possible. In exchange for two second-round picks, the Thunder sent Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Victor Oladipo back to Houston.

While both players can provide bench depth, Oladipo is outclassed in Houston’s young and crowded backcourt. Fred VanVleet is a much better facilitator and scorer, and the Rockets want to give as many reps as possible to Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore.

Robinson-Earl is a low-risk player who’s worth experimenting with, but Oladipo is an established veteran. When healthy, he’s a solid guard who can defend better than anyone. But he hasn’t been consistently healthy in four years.

With Houston trying to win with their young core, the Detroit Pistons have emerged as a trade candidate for Oladipo, per Yahoo! Sports.

They would offer Alec Burks, a 31-year-old wing on an expiring contract. While he has been on seven teams in 12 seasons, he found a role in Detroit last year as a catch-and-shoot wing, making 41 percent of his threes.

The Pistons need defensive help and could use another lead guard now that the Killian Hayes experience appears to be over. Oladipo fits the bill.

Houston has young big men and young guards, but every team in the league can add three-point shooting. And when Dillon Brooks needs a breather, having an experienced shooter is a big plus, especially if Whitmore is having an off night.

Both the Pistons and Rockets are young teams hoping to emerge from a rebuild, and they could easily swap veteran talents to better benefit their roster construction.

With Oladipo’s reputation, the Rockets might have to tack on a second-round pick or two. Houston will be playing to win every game, and Burks could offer some help.