It’s been a busy summer for the Houston Rockets. This team took the NBA by storm during the offseason. They gave Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks lucrative contracts. The Rockets have been tanking for seasons on end, but next year, they’ll be trying to win games.
With that said, the Rockets didn’t land every player that they wanted to this summer. It was widely reported that the Rockets were targeting Brook Lopez. Apparently, Lopez was even interested in joining the team. In the end, he’d remain with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Rockets’ interest in Lopez isn’t hard to understand. There are not many big men in the NBA who can defend the rim and space the floor. With that in mind, the Rockets didn’t land such a big man. Could they target one via trade this season? How about Al Horford of the Boston Celtics?
The Trade Proposal
Boston Celtics Receive: F Jae’Sean Tate, G/F Aaron Holiday, 2024 Second-Round Pick (OKC via HOU)
Houston Rockets Receive: F/C Al Horford
Realistically, this was always the plan for the Rockets. If you were paying attention, you could read the tea leaves from the moment this team traded James Harden. The Rockets didn’t get a quality player in return for Harden – they traded him for nothing but draft capital. The Rockets were always going to tank.
Moreover, they were always going to tank until the 2023-24 season. Teams tank to exploit the league’s lottery system. The Rockets have done so. Now, they won’t be able to. The Rockets owe their next first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder with top-4 protections.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Al Horford, Boston Celtics & Houston Rockets Updates
Was this a perfect plan? No. The Rockets had to overpay to convince free agents to join one of the worst teams in the league. Some of their young players may have developed bad habits over these seasons. Still, the Rockets have one of the best collections of young talent in the NBA, and a roster that should be competitive on paper. That’s not bad. Would acquiring Horford make them better?
Why The Houston Rockets Do The Deal
It seems likely. Horford is well acquainted with the Rockets’ new head coach. Ime Udoka coached him just two seasons ago as a member of the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, Horford seems like exactly Udoka’s type of player.
After all, he’s shown a tendency to play two bigs. As the Rockets are currently constructed, they don’t have the roster to do that. Sure, Jeff Green can handle some spot minutes at the 4, but we suspect that the Rockets would be interested to see how Alperen Sengun looks alongside Horford.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Al Horford, Boston Celtics & Houston Rockets Updates
Meanwhile, they’ll be curious to see how Amen Thompson looks alongside a stretch big like Horford at the 5. If there’s a problem here, it’s that Horford could edge out the newly acquired Jock Landale. At the same time, moving Tate opens up some opportunities for Cam Whitmore. Should Boston help the Rockets open up those opportunities?
Why The Boston Celtics Do The Deal
For Boston, this may come down to Robert Williams III’s health. Moving Horford is risky when Time Lord is so prone to injuries. With that said, this could be a risk worth taking for Boston.
Sure, they’re losing the best player in this trade. At the same time, Tate is solid in his own regard. He’s a versatile defensive wing with a knack for connective passing. Just as significantly, he’s also cost-controlled. Tate is on a team-friendly contract for the next few years.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Al Horford, Boston Celtics & Houston Rockets Updates
That’s critical for the Celtics. After all, they just gave Jaylen Brown the biggest contract in NBA history. Eventually, they’ll need to extend Jayson Tatum as well. Adding a cheap rotation player makes sense for them – even if it helps the Rockets make more noise.
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