Following the departure of James Harden, Houston is having to get creative in coming up with ways to stay competitive in the Western Conference. So, as the Rockets determine their next steps, there is little doubt they will be among the most active teams before the trade deadline.
Nobody knows yet what they’re planning, only that they need to find someone to make up for Harden’s absence on the offensive end. Could a reunion potentially be on the horizon?
While Bradley Beal remains mostly unavailable on the market, one trade scenario illustrated by N.B. Lindburg has the Rockets bringing him to H-Town for a package centered around Victor Oladipo.
(via N.B. Lindberg of Fansided’s Space City Scoop)
If the Wizards understood the current state of their roster they would have known that even with Bradley Beal they weren’t a playoff team and moving him before James Harden was of critical importance.
This trade makes the Wizards watchable for the next few seasons if Oladipo signs an extension, but in the end, it’s just another ticket to almost making the playoffs.
The Rockets should try to pull this deal off because it gives them the best chance to contend this season and next. Bradley Beal will help grease the wheels on offense and they retain their exciting young core of defensive stalwarts.
John Wall and Bradley Beal were always among the NBA’s top backcourt combos, but their postseason success was very limited. In all their years as partners, they never got past the Eastern Semi-Finals.
In Houston, the hope would be that a better supporting cast (like Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, and PJ Tucker) might be enough to make them contenders.
Beal alone would surely put them in a better position. He’s averaging 32.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 46.8% shooting. But is the risk of giving the Wall/Beal duo another chance really worth the price?
At the very least, it makes for an interesting proposal.
