The Rockets are reportedly looking to make adjustments to their roster, despite reliable sources declaring earlier this week that the team was done making moves before the trade deadline.
One of the main concerns for the Rockets is a veteran point guard, as a young Reed Sheppard enters only his second NBA season, and their coaching staff does not view Amen Thompson as a conventional guard and prefers using him on the wings.
According to Shadab Khan of Sports Illustrated, the Rockets are in the final stages of negotiations to bring Coby White from the Bulls to Houston. The Bulls are reportedly demanding Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. in a trade for White, but the front office seems to be refusing.
“UPDATE: The Rockets are pushing to finalize a deal built around Dorian Finney-Smith plus draft capital, but Chicago is seeking either Jabari Smith Jr. or Tari Eason. A deal is widely expected to materialize before the deadline, as Houston is pushing hard to land White,” wrote Khan on X.
Coby White has averaged 18.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds so far this season while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the three-point line. While those numbers don’t scream that he’s a playmaking facilitator, also consider the fact that the Bulls have a logjam of ball-handling guards.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times also confirmed that the Bulls’ front office is particularly fascinated with Tari Eason and repeatedly kept trying to include him in the potential trade package for White. The Rockets have strongly maintained their stand of not letting Eason go.
The Rockets’ front office seems to be desperately trying to find a replacement for Fred VanVleet, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September.
Reports earlier suggested the team is confident in its’ young guards, Sheppard and Thompson, but now the front office seems to be trying to aggressively push for a veteran who can help lead the team all the way in the playoffs.
But a bigger and more relevant problem for the Rockets is to find a replacement for Steven Adams to increase their center depth. According to Kelly Iko, the Rockets are willing to facilitate low-cost moves and are looking for buyout candidates to make room on the roster to add more talent.
“The Rockets’ volume of incoming and outgoing calls has increased as Thursday’s deadline approaches, with Houston seeking low-cost moves involving second-round draft capital — and gathering intel on possible buyout candidates, sources said.”
“Houston is also open to being a facilitator as a third team in larger deals involving other teams. In the wake of reserve big Steven Adams’ season-ending ankle surgery, the Rockets’ need for additional center depth likely outweighs anything else, but all avenues are being considered,” wrote Iko.
With Kevin Durant playing like an MVP candidate and Alperen Sengun playing with a chip on his shoulder of not being selected as an All-Star, the Rockets have the perfect scoring talent needed to compete for a championship. But they also need a primary ball-handler who is a facilitator for plays.
Durant, Sengun, and other players on the team have repeatedly shown that they are capable of turning into playmakers, as they often drop games with double-digits in assists. But the common perception seems to be that they need a primary facilitator so that Durant and Sengun can focus on doing what they do best: scoring.
If they manage to figure out a package for White without trading Jabari Smith Jr. or Tari Eason, then maybe with their solid young team and Durant’s veteran experience, they can compete to win it all.
Do you agree? Will Coby White propel the Rockets to a championship-contending team? Or do the Rockets need to focus on getting a center instead? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
