The Houston Rockets are looking like solidified Playoff contenders this season, starting the season with a 25-12 record for the No. 2 seed in the West. The last few seasons of incremental growth have led to Ime Udoka transforming the team into one of the best defenses in the NBA, which is the foundation of their regular season success this year.
For as good as their defense has been, the Rockets have been lacking the offensive polish required to be a contender in the NBA. While their defense is strong enough over the regular season to keep them in the top half of the West, they don’t look like a team with the necessary offensive skills to win a Playoff series.
Given their hot start to the year, it might be the perfect time to make a major offensive acquisition from the Chicago Bulls.
Trade Details
Houston Rockets Receive: Zach LaVine ($43.0 million)
Chicago Bulls Receive: Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green ($8.0 million), Jae’Sean Tate ($7.5 million), 2025 First-Round Pick (HOU)
Zach LaVine has been on the trade market for over a year without a suitor. This deal allows the Rockets to materially improve their roster while the Bulls actually gain a draft asset in a LaVine trade after everyone assumed they’d be the one losing draft capital in a LaVine salary dump. This deal works for both franchises for several reasons.
The Rockets Add An Offensive X-Factor
The Rockets’ success is built on the backs of their third-best 107.6 defensive rating. Coach Udoka has been playing compact rotations comprising of the team’s best defenders, playing with an intensity most teams simply don’t match over an 82-game regular season. That effort and defensive panache are what will lead to their Playoff return after five seasons, but they’re not built for Playoff success in their current state.
Zach LaVine is averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. He’s averaging 33.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over the last six games, showing he still can take over games offensively without opponents having an answer for him.
The Rockets need a scorer like LaVine to rely upon, especially when Jalen Green is having a bad night. Green’s inconsistency in form can sink the Rockets, so having a more proven and polished scoring option like LaVine will be a huge addition.
The Rockets’ offensive rating this season is 113.7, good for 13th in the NBA. LaVine’s shotmaking ability will greatly boost them, as well as his improving on-ball passing skills. He’s been a capable defender in flashes, so if Udoka can have him play up to his defensive potential as part of a team, the Rockets will be scary.
The Bulls Get Positive Assets For LaVine
Last winter, it seemed insane to suggest that Zach LaVine could lead to a positive asset return for the Bulls. People deemed his five-year, $215 million extension as such a disaster that even the Los Angeles Lakers decided to let go of any interest in LaVine as he’s remained a Bull despite trade rumors for over a year. He was also injured, further hurting his value. This season has helped him prove how good he is once again.
Instead of losing assets and accepting the bare minimum, the Bulls get a solid return in this deal. Dillon Brooks is averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 rebounds this season. He has a proven track record as a winning player and could lead to more assets coming to the Bulls in additional trades. Jae’Sean Tate is averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds while the veteran Jeff Green is averaging 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds this season.
Green and Tate could see the year out in Chicago while Brooks could get traded on. This essentially opens up the Bulls’ salary cap completely, with no long-term contracts remaining on the roster. The Bulls can officially start their rebuild after making this trade, as they’re still in the bubble of competitiveness where they aren’t good enough for the Playoffs but not bad enough for a top-5 lottery pick.
The Rockets Know It’s Time To Start Winning
The Rockets were the best-performing team of the 2010s in terms of regular season wins. New NBA fans will not know that because up until the 2023-24 season, the Rockets were bottom-feeders to open the decade. But they have drafted intelligently and made the right hires and signings to return to playing their brand of competitive basketball.
There’s no point in waiting for the team to ‘learn a Playoff lesson’ with their current roster, which isn’t offensively equipped to be real contenders just yet. LaVine gives them enough of a boost to not be outmatched against a lower-seed like the Lakers just because of how Playoff matchups wind up being.
A win-now trade is overdue, and the Rockets can announce the start of their new era by making this deal.
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