The Houston Rockets are sitting pretty as the No. 2 seed in the West after 69 games with a 44-25 record. They’re all but guaranteed to be in the postseason for the first time since 2020 after years of a painful rebuild that ended last season with Ime Udoka’s hiring. However, many are questioning their validity as contenders given their offensive shortcomings over the course of the season.
The Rockets have an average 114.6 offensive rating, primarily because the team has an unclear offensive engine. Jalen Green isn’t as adept as an on-ball creator as Fred VanVleet, but VanVleet isn’t as efficient a scorer. Alperen Sengun can’t be the team’s primary half-court creator either, so they need a star guard to be the bridge between all these conflicting interests.
Bringing Jordan Poole back to a winning situation to maximize his talent might be the perfect move.
Trade Details
Houston Rockets Receive: Jordan Poole
Washington Wizards Receive: Cam Whitmore, Reed Sheppard, Jock Landale, 2025 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2027 First-Round Pick (HOU)
This is a highly risky deal given the form swings we’ve seen from Poole over the course of his career. However, he’s shown real maturity this season by composing himself on the court while emerging as an effective leader for the team’s young core. Getting this sort of a return for Poole two years after they received assets to accept him as a cap dump will be a huge win for the Wizards.
The Rockets Swing Big On A Move With Risk
Jordan Poole is a polarizing quantity in the NBA. While many believe he’s an unserious player who locked in for one season with the Golden State Warriors to win a title, others believe he has potential that can still be unearthed. The Rockets will put that to the test by bringing him into an extremely organized setup that even tamed Jalen Green after people believed for years he couldn’t be a system player.
Poole is averaging 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists this season. Perimeter players carry more influence on the game than ever before, so having an option like Poole in the guard rotation is game-changing for the Rockets’ sputtering offense. He can score and create for others while staying more efficient than VanVleet.
Making this deal possible requires the Rockets to decline VanVleet’s $45 million player option and re-sign him on a friendlier deal to be a veteran backup guard. Meanwhile, Poole could revitalize his career and the Rockets’ chances of contention by giving them options to play lethal small-ball lineups without any offensive shortcomings going forward.
The Wizards Sell At The Perfect Time
This time last year, many would’ve believed that the Wizards would have to attach assets to Poole to dump him to another team. But with another year removed from his contract where his production actually matched the money he’s making, he looks like a potential great win-now addition for a team for the next few seasons. Instead of holding onto him until his value recedes like they did with Kyle Kuzma, they can move on from him at the perfect time this summer.
Reed Sheppard went from a Rookie of the Year favorite to having a busted rookie season, averaging 3.9 points on 33.3% from the field. Cam Whitmore is a high-potential forward who has had some acrimonious moments on the team, averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds this season. Jock Landale is averaging 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds and is a decent rotational big.
This would be the perfect play for the Wizards to move off an asset many considered to be ruined just a season ago. If they can develop both Sheppard and Whitmore into being productive members of their core, even the price of weak draft picks won’t be a problem as they are proven first-round pick quality talent who just need a place to develop. Washington could be that place.
Offense Wins Championships
The old saying ‘defense wins championships’ couldn’t be further from the truth in the modern NBA. Championship teams are usually good on both ends, but we haven’t seen a transcendent defense win a title while playing below-average offense. On the other hand, we have seen teams like the Denver Nuggets win a title with average defense but spectacular offense.
The Rockets have a strong defensive identity, but they can’t evolve unless they embrace matching the NBA’s desire for offensive players. Poole might be the best value-get given his past, allowing the Rockets to move off disgruntled young players and weak draft picks for a proven 20-point scorer who could play at an All-Star caliber.
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