Why The Houston Rockets Do The Deal
Of course, some will point to a potential inconsistency here. If the Rockets don’t have room for Martin Jr. at the 4, why would they acquire another 4?
Well, there are two explanations. Firstly, Vanderbilt is just better than Martin. In recent years, he’s emerged as a fantastic defensive player with a limitless motor. He’d instantly skip Garuba on this team’s pecking order as well. The Rockets are making an upgrade here – they’re not worried about the subsequent logjam.
Moreover, Vanderbilt really only overlaps with Garuba in the first place. If anything, this boils down to secondary positions. Smith Jr. can realistically play any front-court position.
Meanwhile, Eason is probably a 4/3, whereas Vanderbilt is closer to a 4/5. The only player suffering from a rotational perspective here is Garuba.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jarred Vanderbilt, Utah Jazz & Houston Rockets Updates
Frankly, Garuba has looked fairly raw in the NBA action he’s seen so far. He’s got potential as a versatile defensive forward/big, but he’s yet to tap much of it. In all likelihood, the Rockets aren’t planning around him. With that in mind, acquiring a player who fills his role shouldn’t be problematic.
Is this the right package for the Jazz to receive for Vanderbilt?
