The Houston Rockets are one of the NBA teams everyone in the basketball world is going to be keeping their eyes on. Houston is one of a handful of teams in the league that look like bonafide sellers this year before the deadline. As a result, they could swing the tide for the playoff race.
The Rockets have several players that teams are interested in. PJ Tucker tops that list, but Victor Oladipo isn’t far behind. Eric Gordon, Danuel House Jr., Ben McLemore, Sterling Brown and Jae’Sean Tate are also names to keep an eye on. There is no doubt that an overhaul is on the horizon in Space City.
“I keep hearing they’re going to fire-sale,” said a rival scout.
“Houston’s gonna burn the house down,” said another assistant general manager.
Selling would be the best course of action for the Rockets. If their first-round selection falls outside the top-4, it is heading to Oklahoma City as a part of the Russell Westbrook trade. However, if they are to complete any deals in the coming weeks, they may have to lower their asking price.
Thus far, it sounds as if Houston has an astronomical asking price for the players they are willing to part ways with. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Houston asked for either Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson as part of a package from the Miami Heat for PJ Tucker. There is also a rumor of a potential Tucker for Spencer Dinwiddie from the Brooklyn Nets swap.
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For Houston to expect something of that value in return for Tucker is not realistic. Tucker is having his worst shooting season since 2012-13 and has seen his rebounding numbers fall off as well. His defensive versatility is a worthwhile asset for contending teams to have, as he can defend four positions throughout a game and in crunch time is capable of defending all five.
However, no one is trading an asset on the level of Herro or Duncan for him. It is no one else’s fault in the NBA the Rockets reportedly turned down an offer for a late first-round pick in 2020 from the Minnesota Timberwolves that they seem to be trying to compensate for.
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There is also the long-term impact on acquiring someone such as PJ Tucker or Victor Oladipo. Both are impending free agents and looking to cash in on free agency this summer. For Tucker, who will be 36 in May, this will likely be the last time for him to land a lucrative multi-year deal.
The Rockets have to make some moves at the deadline. If they aren’t getting bites on their asking price, they will have to adjust them accordingly. The markets should be robust enough that they can get some value back for their players, but the overvaluation they are currently doing of their assets won’t result in any deals being made.
