The Houston Rockets, for the most part, were one of the teams who ended up sitting out the NBA Trade Deadline this year. Houston made one deal a week before the deadline, acquiring Steven Adams from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks.
Adams won’t be helping the Rockets this season, as he is going to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign because of a knee injury. But, his acquisition is in line with what the team had been seeking for months.
In the offseason, the Rockets attempted to sign Brook Lopez to pair with Alperen Sengun at the center spot. Sengun is amid an impressive breakout, but the franchise was still looking for a defensive-minded veteran who could play alongside him in the frontcourt.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jericho Sims, Andre Dummond, Kelly Olynyk, Xavier Tillman Sr., Houston Rockets Updates
That objective remained the same ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. While the Rockets didn’t end up making a deal, it wasn’t from a lack of effort. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, trade talks were had, but, no consensus could be found by the decision-makers of the team.
“Names like Kelly Olynyk, Chicago’s Andre Drummond, New York’s Jericho Sims and Xavier Tillman Sr. were mentioned as potential solutions — among others — but resistance was met with each concept that was floated, either from the opposing team or internally as a group,” wrote Iko.
That was the sentiment that general manager Rafael Stone shared when speaking to Iko. The Rockets’ goal, heading back to the offseason, was to become more competitive this season.
So, they were aggressive in free agency, signing Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green. There has certainly been improvement, as Houston is 24-29 and in the mix for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jericho Sims, Andre Dummond, Kelly Olynyk, Xavier Tillman Sr., Houston Rockets Updates
“There were obviously things we were interested in doing, but by no means were we feeling like we had to do something,” Stone said on Monday. “We were exploring options that we thought made sense for us, both in the present and the future — and at the end of the day it just makes the most sense to stand pat.”
NBA rumors swirled ahead of the deadline that the Rockets pushed to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Talks didn’t get too far along, as the Nets had no interest in trading Bridges, but Jalen Green was reportedly put on the table.
Sooner than later, Houston is going to have a big decision to make. The young players on their roster will be consolidated and flipped for an established veteran to help push their rebuild into the next stage.
Could that trade come this offseason? The Rockets are certainly a team to keep an eye on as they have the combination of young players and draft capital teams seek in return for star players in blockbuster trades.
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