NBA Insider: the Houston Rockets are in “Win Now Mode”???

NBA Insider: the Houston Rockets are in “Win Now Mode”???

NBA draft it’s on Wednesday the Rockets have the number three overall pick they also have pick 44 for what it’s worth we heard some interesting tidbits about the Rockets over the weekend specifically this one from Mike a Scotto who is a senior NBA Insider and host of the Hoops hype podcast he wrote the Houston Rockets are big game hunting wow are they poaching little poaching here sh ah me one of the many notable names on their radar is Paul George League sources told Hoops height George could potentially exercise his $ 48.8 million player option to facilitate a trade to his next destination but currently the chances of Houston Landing George are unlikely sources said okay well what’s the point of this report Mike they’re hunting that word is cool they’re not they’re not Landing they’re not killing anything but they’re they’re hunting for big names meat is murder as they say or as I would say to any theoretical vegan item on the uh dating apps now that I’m back on I I I I’d pretend for a little bit I mean the first time we eat out I’d say Oh I thought this I thought this steak was glutenfree vegan friendly or something like that but um so Paul George is on the Rockets radar and I guess this isn’t the only star that they’re thinking about this is from an ESPN mock draft which has the rockets taking Reed Shepard at number three they did meet with him and I believe for most websites where you can place a wager he is the odds on favorite for the Rockets to select in that third spot but I was really intrigued by this paragraph in that article with a little extra tidbits in addition to the mock draft the Rockets are clearly in win now mode and would love to add star power to their roster with players such as Kevin Durant Jimmy Butler male Bridges and Brandon Ingram as well as role players including Brook Lopez and Marcus Smart being some that other teams say the Rockets could have interest in targeting the Rockets are clearly in win now mode hang on no they are not I think they are they are not I I don’t I don’t they probably shouldn’t be but this goes back to the the phases thing when when they introduced Oka about phase one and phase two and phase three and the reports we had at the deadline that Oka was thinking about trying to speed up the process on this thing I he wants to be the coach of a team like the Boston Celtics that he took to the finals I don’t think he wants to rebuild the baby rockets and I I Really they got to make the Right Moves but I really think they’re going to try to hit the fast forward button here pretty aggressively and look all the credit in the world to them because it’s been an unwatchable product for the most part the last couple of Seasons last year this past season that we just saw that one okay they actually were watchable so I understand that and there might be some pressure from ownership to get back on the winning train sooner rather than later or at least be competitive SL relevant but at the same time you got to be realistic with yourself can you land any of those players first off do you have enough to land any of those players that are listed right there I’d say yes 100% yes you think so yeah I think with the the young players you have on your roster the core six as some are calling them joke yeah the the young players and the picks like you you can go and get a lot of these guys like think about if you’re Phoenix let’s say Phoenix is actually going to entertain the idea of trading Kevin Durant they gave up all their draft picks through like 2029 I think it is or at least through 2027 to make that deal in a season which didn’t go very well you can’t trade Bradley Beal you’re stuck with him until he retires basically and you don’t want to trade Deon Booker so if you’re going to unload and try to re restart the process a little bit the Rockets have the assets that you know you might want to make it roll with same thing with the Pelicans if they don’t believe in Ingram and Zion same thing with Jimmy like I wouldn’t they have they have the assets the Rockets probably have the best assets in the NBA outside of Oklahoma City City and because you can keep a star player here unlike an Oklahoma City you probably have a better chance to land one of those guys theoretically I guess in terms of yes realistic to be traded assets the Rockets are certainly up there because you could argue well what if this team trades X Y and Z but you trade for any of those guys that I listed you’re getting those guys at best in the Twilight of their Peak are you really expecting Kevin Durant going into year number 18 to continue this is Jimmy Butler going to be him Butler in the playoffs next time around I like both of those players I they would certainly be much more interesting the Rockets if they got either of those guys this coming season but are they all of a sudden going to be in the same conversation in a loaded West as Minnesota Denver Dallas who’s obviously the defending champ maybe maybe they’re closer to Dallas I guess who doesn’t have the deepest of teams but I I don’t feel like making a move to get one of those guys is going to put you in the same conversation as those teams and that’s why I just think if the Rockets think they’re in win now mode I suppose they are in win now mode but they shouldn’t think that they’re in win now mode no to me win now mode means that you believe in what you have and that you believe that let’s say Jaylen green and ALR shenon somehow you can keep those guys that those two guys are ready to take the next step in their career and then adding Durant Butler or Paul George or Ingram to those two guys elevates you I don’t think you’re to what you’re saying Paul you’re not you’re not acquiring one of these guys to put you over the top Kevin Durant played in 75 games this year that’s the most he’s played in since 20189 his previous years he played in 47 55 and 35 games Jimmy Butler hasn’t played in over 64 game more than 64 games since 201819 they don’t play basketball Paul George same thing I guarantee you don’t even have to look it up they’re hurt the rest days they’re old like like you would they you can’t view them as the piece to win you a championship they are a complimentary piece if you think you’re in win now mode yeah the the whole thing with the Rockets is like the best player if they’re going to win a championship has basically has to be someone who’s already on the team like you’re you’re you need those guys to develop they’re not a like like Toronto was when they traded for Kawhi Leonard where yeah you just swap out D rozan for Kawhi Leonard and now you win the championship and they’re not that close like you it’s someone where it’s it’s using the SP lot you’re in right now to add someone who makes a lot of money before you’re paying the young players on your team a lot of money and you’re hoping to as they develop you’re also getting the last bits of you know great Paul George or great Uh Kevin Durant and you’re getting that overlap with the young guys coming up as uh these guys are holding on to their Prime so maybe we shouldn’t call it win now then no no I mean tending wi now is just what Mike Scot called it like like that’s the thing like it gets framed as just because oh a reporter says they’re in win down mode where it’s like no they’re interested in Star players they’re interested in Star players and Veterans uh to add to this team and that which again we’ve been hearing about for over a year that they’re going to throw in chips to get a star player they haven’t done that they’ve just they signed Brooks van vet Jeff Green Jo land wi now player Jo land I get triggered by the loaded language there that’s used because people know it will probably blow up in some sort of uh you got to get NBA Central to exactly agation yeah but when now it’s also we talk about Kevin Durant like does Kevin Durant want to be traded because good question Phoenix isn’t going to trade him unless he wants to be traded and normally when he wants to leave a team we know we we know ahead of time WN to be relevant now that’s yes what they should the because if you do it it matters on the deal but if you could just do something like Dylan Brooks number three and matching salary you know the Jon Tates and jock landells of the world the number three pick Dylan Brooks for Paul George where yes you essentially just taking out Paul George or taking out Dylan Brooks and replacing with Paul George you are a playoff team at that point you’re you will make the playoffs and it’s just would it cost more than that and that’s where you get into the like I don’t know if I want to throw in Jabari Smith to make this deal happen or if I want to throw in cam Whitmore to make this deal happen it’s all about the price to get one of these guys

While we’d all love to see it, that sounds premature. #Rockets #HoustonRockets #PaulGeorge