The Houston Rockets are willing to give up future assets in order to boost their 2019-20 roster, with a likely emphasis on wing players, according to a new report published Monday by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
The timing of the report is significant, since next Sunday is Dec. 15. That’s the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA, since it’s the date that most players who signed last offseason are eligible to be dealt.
Regarding the Rockets, who appear fully committed to doing whatever they can to boost their championship odds this season, Charania writes:
The Rockets are willing to give up more future assets for roster help right now, league sources say. Houston will most likely target wing players on the market.
Latest Inside Pass from NBA Insider @ShamsCharania: Kevin Love prefers a move to a contender, moments of frustration in Atlanta, a surprise Thunder approach, and more on the developing trade market.https://t.co/DDa8oydrcv
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) December 9, 2019
The team’s best future assets would likely be first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft and/or the 2022 NBA Draft. Because the Rockets traded their 2024 and 2026 first-rounders to Oklahoma City in the deal for Russell Westbrook, they cannot trade their 2023 or 2025 first-round picks because of a league rule that prohibits teams from not having a first-round pick in consecutive future seasons.
Thus, draft choices within the next three seasons are likely to be Houston’s best assets on the marketplace.
The problem for the Rockets could come in their apparent lack of “filler” salaries to make the math work on potential trades. Because Houston is above the NBA’s salary cap, they must send out close to as much money as they take in under any proposed transaction.
The organization’s hope appeared to be that an incentive-heavy contract to veteran center Nene could help bridge the financial gap. However, the NBA decided in September not to count the amount of the incentives toward Nene’s outgoing trade value, financially.
The Rockets could still combine several minimum salaries to create a large enough outgoing figure to take in a significant salary from another team. However, that would probably require a three- or four-team deal. That’s because it’s unlikely that any one team would be able to create four or five open roster spots to take in several contracts from the Rockets. if they are only sending out one player in the deal.
If true, Charania’s report would seem to indicate that GM Daryl Morey has authorization from owner Tilman Fertitta to have a payroll in luxury-tax territory. With the Rockets already up against the tax line, any new acquisition for future draft assets would almost certainly push them over.
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