Report: Rockets have trade interest in New York’s Quentin Grimes

The Rockets are among four NBA teams to have expressed trade interest in New York’s Quentin Grimes, per SNY’s Ian Begley.

For Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, drafting in the middle-to-late portion of first-round has been a clear strength over his three NBA offseasons to date. Houston’s hauls have included Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore in consecutive years.

But one that got away was Quentin Grimes, the No. 25 pick in 2021. Despite playing college basketball at the nearby University of Houston, the Rockets drafted Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher with the two previous selections in the first-round order.

Neither of those draft picks made a major impact with Houston, while Grimes quickly became an positive player for the Knicks. This season, Grimes lost his starting job to veteran Donte DiVincenzo, and it’s unclear if there’s a long-term contractual fit in New York for him.

So, could the stars be aligning for Stone and the Rockets to bring in the one that got away? Perhaps. Per SNY’s Ian Begley, a veteran NBA reporter focused on the Knicks, the Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in obtaining Grimes.

Begley did not indicate what a potential trade package would look like. Because Grimes is on his initial NBA contract, he’s making less than $3 million this season, which makes it very easy for the Rockets and other teams to match salaries or even absorb him into a trade exception. Thus, it could come down to which team can tempt the Knicks the most from an asset value perspective.

The Rockets have first-round draft capital from Brooklyn, as well as several second-round picks in 2024 and beyond, to consider including in trade proposals. Time will tell whether they deem Grimes worthy of that type of asset investment.

During three NBA seasons, Grimes has averaged 8.6 points (43.8% FG, 38.3% on 3-pointers) and 2.5 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game with the Knicks. A versatile 6-foot-5 wing player with strength, he provides positive defensive value at multiple positions.

[lawrence-related id=119972,119937]