The Houston Rockets saw their postseason run come to a rather disappointing end. After qualifying as the second-seeded team in the West, Houston had every opportunity to dominate and make a deep playoff run. Instead, they saw some mediocre and otherwise underwhelming performances from key players on their roster.
Crashing out of the first round made some things abundantly clear to the Rockets front office: changes had to be made. To facilitate this, the franchise has been very active thus far. Having made inquiries about several players, the team appears to be taking an aggressive approach towards signing new talent.
The key factors that the Rockets will consider while heading into free agency will be improving their overall scoring and strengthening their roster depth. Needless to say, this is a challenge for any team.
The process of constructing a roster that is ready to compete for a title is not an easy one. But Houston would be well-served by making some logical steps to get started.
A player that could be an ideal target for the Rockets in this scenario would be Los Angeles Clippers forward Norman Powell. With some interesting pieces being moved to acquire him, let’s take a look at how this trade proposal could be of benefit to both teams involved.
Proposed Trade Details
Houston Rockets Receive: Norman Powell, 2025 First-Round Pick (No. 30 via OKC)
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Jock Landale, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, 2025 First-Round Pick (No. 10 via PHX)
This trade sees the Rockets acquire a solid role player and a key first-round draft pick. Meanwhile, the Clippers also receive some talented role players along with a high first-round pick to facilitate their development.
Let’s take a closer look at how this trade impacts each team.
The Houston Rockets Boost Their Offensive Firepower
The addition of Norman Powell does wonders for Houston’s offensive firepower. The Rockets were ranked 13th in the NBA when it came to offensive rating. For a team with so much potential, a middling rank should be a disgrace.
The Rockets feature some immensely talented scorers, such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and a savvy veteran star in Fred VanVleet. Unfortunately, Sengun and VanVleet appeared to be the only relevant threats in the postseason as Green disappeared from the spotlight.
Powell appears as a solid acquisition in this case. As a legitimate scoring threat at multiple levels, he demands the attention of defenders and is capable of creating his shot as well.
The 31-year-old veteran recorded an average of 21.8 points per game on an efficient 48.4% shooting from the field and 41.8% shooting from beyond the arc.
Powell’s style of play seamlessly aligns with Houston’s offensive system and personnel requirements. Given that they are practically a half-court team with Sengun playing the role of facilitator, the forward could find himself open on the perimeter more often than not.
In addition to this, the Rockets will also acquire a key first-round pick. While it would be ideal to simply utilize this pick to draft some young talent, Houston may engage in some more trades on draft night, leveraging the pick to gain more relevant assets.
The trade certainly helps the Rockets in the current scenario, specifically because there is a high likelihood of Green being on the trading block. By adding a third scoring option, Houston retains its offensive integrity by filling it with a veteran with championship experience instead.
The Clippers Receive Key Rotational Pieces
The trade proposal also brings some benefits for the Clippers in this scenario. The Los Angeles team saw a difficult and crushing end to their season after a loss in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. The team showed a lot of fight, but eventually came up short as some key role players failed to produce on the biggest stage.
At this stage, the Clippers’ core is comprised of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Although this looks solid on paper, Leonard’s injury-prone nature and Harden’s routine absences in the playoffs do not present optimistic futures for the franchise.
The team may be best served by focusing on a rebuild, effective immediately. While trading Leonard and Harden could bring in a lot more assets, a trade involving Powell helps them structure their rebuild quite efficiently.
Tari Eason showed a lot of upside for the Rockets this season. The young forward put up averages of 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds on 48.7% FG. Although he didn’t play as many minutes in the playoffs, the 24-year-old made for a reliable option on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, Cam Whitmore might be a great acquisition for the Clippers. Although he didn’t get much playing time in the regular season, the 20-year-old forward has displayed incredible shot-creating ability and offensive versatility. He notched an average of 9.4 points on 44.4% shooting from the field.
Jock Landale is one of the pieces of this trade that don’t have an impact on the team’s future. At 29 years old, Landale seems to have found his level as a rotation big who gives energy off the bench. This may not be of much value to the Clippers in this context.
What will, however, be hugely important is the No. 10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Our sources suggest that the Rockets would select Kasparas Jakucionis out of Illinois.
With an average of 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game recorded last season, Jakucionis boasts a high ceiling for being a solid combo guard. While the Clippers may opt to change this up, given their requirements, the Lithuanian remains an intriguing asset for development.
