How likely is it that the Houston Rockets make a trade?
What are your Rockets going to do before the deadline what they doing they they they say they want to make a move and they actually have stuff pieces to do make yeah so so it just feels like at least for Houston um because they have so much flexibility and because all the
Talk you hear about around the league is that things are kind of all a littleit kind of slowed down they have the pieces to go out and do things you know if they if they so choose to now obviously it depends on on if they really want to
Make the playoffs or not you know and and by all indications they still want to make the postseason but you know as opposed to you know just playing it cool and letting this phas two ride out they don’t have to go make a big splash before Thursday but if there’s a move
Around the margins that they can do to get better you know as a like a backup big you know between now and the end of the year obviously more two-way shooting if those kind of moves are out there that’s what they’re going to try to do
Because you know they’re 22 or 23 and 26 they’re still a game out of the last playing spot in the Western Conference um know after the allstar break they stuff they gotta play the Clippers they gotta play Utah they gotta play Denver OKC like it’s it gets pretty tough
Between now and the end of the year so you need to sharpen your tools and if you can find a move or two that can just reinforce things and give you guys a jolt and I think that’s what they do I like I mean what they more inclined
To trade players or picks you think I I I think honestly I think players um if you look at the roster right now there’s a bit of a log Jam obviously the one name that you constantly hear um in kind of these trade Concepts and is is tapate
Jan Tate because you know he’s kind of fallen down out of down the pecking order he is a guy that teams still lack because of what he can do on both sides of the ball still you know a russal Defender can guard one through five one
Through four um he’s he can he’s a playmaker space in the floor he’s still improving on that but as far as a team first guy and the chemistry guy and a kind of go kind of character that the winning teams need to take them over the edge like just that additional Defender
That seventh eighth guy he’s still a guy that they like so if there’s a move out there that they could send out Tate and bring in a big you know or bring in some more two-way shooting I think that’s what they they would do but of course
You know things are still up in the air at this point still talks things will heat up between now and Thursday but as of right now that’s what they want to do from a conceptual standpoint it to me this feels like a little bit more critical than it might
Seem on the surface just because the Rockets clearly like have something so to me they’d want to get in the playoffs to get these guys some like experience like obviously alperin is like you know an anchor like who are some player who who on this team you like man for for
The purposes of down the line you want to get them in the playoffs right now uh I think first off is Jabari Smith Jr I think he’s a guy that you look around the league he’s he’s considered one of those tough nailed hard-nosed guys who’s constantly improving you know he’s
Getting a lot of Praise around the league just because of his two-way ability his potential obviously um just from a length standpoint he’s gotten better on the glass he’s improving as a three-point shooter he’s someone that needs that you know that kind of level of play you know to really juice things
And really push that development forward T E’s been out for a while but he would also be one not put in that category and then obviously the rookies you know amen Thompson and cam Whitmore two guys that you know have really might be exceeded expectations a bit in terms of just what
They what they’ve been able to do from an early standpoint you know obviously with Cam falling to the 20th pick of the draft now coming in and showing the NBA that he is an offensive threat you know even in his in his smaller role he can
Put points on the board he’s a hell of a floor spacer athletic can can crash the boards you know obviously he needs to improve in some of the shot selection and the processing speed but the tools are all there so those young guys I think I called that like they call their
Cor six that those are the guys that would stand to benefit the most from getting to the postseason that’s kind of why you want to see a team like the Rockets that’s right there in the think of things why they should you know make a move or two two up those chances da
Did you hear that did you hear what he just said I don’t know if you heard but it sound like he just said Trey Jaylen green I you know I was gonna say Marcus I was waiting for I was waiting for J E something so so so what it’s something where like like
Beginning of the year or in the past two seasons he was someone that everything was caded towards right he was the guy that they championed as the player to get them out of the post James Harden era right and if he was going to be a star it would help accelerate everything
Else around him now beginning of this season you bring in eay who comes with with his own coaching staff who’s coming in from Ground Zero there’s no preconceive Notions he brings in Fred vany he brings in Dylan Brooks brings in Jeff Green Aaron holiday and instantly the culture changes from from that point
On then also you have Alin shenon developing into a star rapidly and I think if you were to be honest with that coaching staff from a ground zero standpoint they might not have seen that you know from training camp it’s it’s kind of thing where alprin kind of took
It by the horns and said no I’m that guy so man it still don’t look like it kind of like when he play it looks like it but when you look at him you ain’t thinking like yeah because he’s such a laidback guy a layback chill guy and so
Um you have Jaylen who’s who’s had to adapt to not being the guy anymore and having to find his niche in the offense you know with guys that need the ball you know Jabar needs the ball Alper needs the ball Fred of course needs the ball then you have guys like Dylan that
Came here to have the ball you know it’s a bit of a a give and go so you understand kind of from a franchise standpoint you know if there was a move out there that could bring them in another star then it makes sense to to
Even if it cost them a guy like a Jaylen green right now on the flip side you know he had that Big Stretch where he was I think he was averaging close to 29 Points a game over the last like six out the last seven games something like that and you
Can kind of see when he’s in a rhythm what they can do with him it’s just going to be a matter of they have so many mouths to feed how do they manage this going forward and and and how much how quickly does e may want to win at a
High level like if if if he’s comfortable getting to the the first round and losing in like a tough six games is that going to change things or does he want to try and make a first round upset like depending on what they want to do that’s going to be the
Direction where they go with Jay gr ultimately well you always and you always have to consider the the owner up there you know for sure tman tman ain’t Tillman ain’t the most patient person I’ve ever dealt with in my life so you know I wonder if he’s really you know
Pushing if even if it’s not Bridges you know I mean I know that was a a rumor for a minute um but some I I’ll be given where they are I would be surprised if they didn’t do something kind of interesting by Thursday you know just because I think Tillman would much
Rather be in the playoffs than not be in the playoffs you know and um if it if it means doing a little bit extra on a trade to get a Difference Maker Wing that you mentioned um I just can’t see him not doing that because he’s always
Been very aggressive in when it comes to these types of things yeah so so there is one caveat that um recently an injury to Fred Van vet the aductor FR I’m not sure how long it’s going to be out if it’s a short-term thing maybe that does
Change how they approach thday Fred has been getting injured lately last years but if it’s if it’s a longer term thing I’m not sure if that shifts expectations well because obviously without Fred I don’t think they’re making the playoffs at all so um I think they have things
Have to go and honestly speaking with their flexibility the biggest move that they can make is always going to be in the summer right because that’s when you have to go from you can actually sit back and evaluate eay after a year eay hasn’t had a group for a year and seeing
What’s work what doesn’t work and how can you move forward then those guys would had to year under the BT extra of extra experience now you can actually go out and be some some Big Boys in the market you know whereas right now just because of the injuries with with Fred
And then tar still out he’s missed the last 27 games you know if you don’t have those two pieces are you really trying to make the playoffs right now it really depends on health and and and and and as always da you’ve covered this league for
A long time someone has to make the first move in the market and it’s GNA be a domino fix so um I thought it was going to be Terry Rosier you know a couple weeks ago about say you saying Danilo ginari don’t count come on man
The Athletic NBA Show discuss the Houston Rockets’ plans for the NBA Trade Deadline.
