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Leaving Las Vegas: Rating the Rockets Rookies

I really did not want Summer League to end. And with good reason. Not just because the week-long event is like the Comic-Con for NBA junkies like myself, but because things could not have gone much better for the Rockets in Las Vegas, and I’m not talking about their 4-1 record. Houston was all the rage at Cox Pavilion this week as the team’s four first round pick rookies (three from this year’s draft and one from 2011) took the league by storm.

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I really did not want Summer League to end.

And with good reason. Not just because the week-long event is like the Comic-Con for NBA junkies like myself, but because things could not have gone much better for the Rockets in Las Vegas, and I’m not talking about their 4-1 record. Houston was all the rage at Cox Pavilion this week as the team’s four first round pick rookies (three from this year’s draft and one from 2011) took the league by storm.

I was struck by not just their talent and potential, but by the fact that they quickly came together as a team. Often in Summer League play, players are out to boost their numbers and stats in the hope of making an NBA team, but that wasn’t the case with these Rockets. They shared the ball and passed about as well as any team I’ve seen, and as a result, everyone’s stock soared.

After spending a very fun week in Vegas to watch the squad, here are my thoughts on the Rockets rookies.

Jeremy Lamb Houston Rockets Summer League 2012Jeremy Lamb
One of the big questions I was left with after watching the Rockets play in Vegas – how in the world did Jeremy Lamb fall to the Rockets with the 12th pick?

Lamb is probably the most NBA-ready prospect the Rockets have. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of UConn scores seemingly effortlessly and does it in bunches — I’d say he can score in the league right now, no question. He’s got excellent range, unafraid to pull up from deep, and his mid-range game is even better than that. What struck me is his quick release — quicker than I thought — which he uses to catch-and-shoot quickly or take his man off the dribble and get off a pull-up before the defender can recover.

Offensively he’s gifted, scoring with the same sleepy-eyed, “Is he lazy?” kind of vibe you get from Tracy McGrady.

Defensively he’ll have to go to work, and that means getting bigger/stronger and learning to put his near 7-foot wingspan to better use. That’s a major need, but there is a very high upside to Jeremy Lamb and I think that was showcased in Vegas.

Donatas Motiejunas Houston Rockets Summer League 2012Donatas Motiejunas
I’ve probably gushed about Motiejunas enough as literally a minute into his first game he started to impress me.

There was a play in Game 4 (his last) where Donatas got the ball about 15 feet out just off left baseline, posting up against a defender who had bodied him up. Motiejunas paused briefly, then exploded towards the lane, sweeping past the basket and hooking it from about 5-6 feet as it softly bounced in. The move was so quick and fast that he had completely dusted his defender.

This is his strength — post moves. He is very fundamentally sound there and makes post-moves with both hands with military-like precision.

He’s not a shotblocker, so he doesn’t translate to the ideal five, but he gives McHale a great option at that spot for speed lineups as his combination of size, mobility and quickness is going to be hard for any pivot to contain.

Generally the Rockets organization would welcome their players being hyped, but in the case of Motiejunas, they go out of their way to try to diffuse it. He’s not an elite athlete and he’s not a great shooter (after going 2-2 from distance in Game 1, he missed his next 5). They definitely don’t want the bar of expectations in Houston to damage this kid, but he’s got great size and works as hard as anyone, I’m told.

Personally, I think he’s a hell of a power forward prospect and has a bright future.

Terrence Jones Houston Rockets Summer League 2012Terrence Jones
I wasn’t thrilled with the Terrence Jones pick at 18, but it wasn’t because I didn’t like him as a player — rather the 6-foot-9 “solid” power forward cupboard at the Toyota Center was plenty stocked already.

Perhaps it was because I had the bar of expectations set lower, but Jones was the one who impressed me the most in Summer League.

First off, he has NBA size – he’s only 20 years old, yet he looks very strong in the upper body area, like he’s trying to smuggle a couple of bowling balls into Mexico. He uses it effectively to get rebounds and to defend in the post, where he looked very good.

In my opinion, Jones has a higher upside than Patrick Patterson does. He’s not a tweener – he looks like a legit hybrid to me. While Patterson is a four that could maybe slide to the three, Jones is a huge three that can legitimately defend fours and maybe even play some center in small lineups.

He passes very well. He’ll also get the board and run the break himself. He looks much more comfortable facing up his man 18-feet out than he does backing him down in the post. He has a very sleepy crossover move that he consistently used to go left on his man and attack the basket. We’ll see how effective that move is when he’s going up against much stronger and quicker players in NBA games, but in Summer League, he was a man among boys.

My hunch is Jones was originally the most likely to be traded, but if not dealt, I have a feeling that one day we’ll look back at the Chase Budinger for Terrence Jones trade and wonder how they were able to pull it off.

Royce White Houston Rockets Summer League 2012Royce White
Unique. That’s Royce White in a nutshell.

After struggling for the first two games, the Iowa State version of Royce White made an appearance starting in Game 3, and was it ever fun to watch. He started hitting the glass, running the break and showcasing his terrific passing skills. “Ooohs” and “ahhs” rained down from the stands every time he made a play. He’s going to be exciting.

I think he’s got a high basketball IQ. He’s also an emotional player. If he doesn’t get a call when he thinks he’s fouled, something is triggered and you can see it. His nostrils flare and his eyes widen a bit… and he’s going to do something. In fact, when I would see this I would often say to the media member next to me, “Here we go.” Sacramento’s Thomas Robinson and Chicago’s Jamie Skeen know that look well. White abused both players in the same fashion — faced them up from beyond the three-point line, went right at them, crossed them over and darted to the hoop, launching 260+ pounds into the air for a thunderous jam.

He’s got huge hands too. Trust me… I shook one of them, and I don’t know where my hand went. I know it was in there somewhere, but it was swallowed, like a Q-Tip falling into a baseball glove.

Now before I rave too much, I have to point out that White has serious flaws. He can’t shoot a lick, and that includes unguarded shots from the free throw line. He’s turnover-prone and his defense in the post needs more work than I thought (he had 8 fouls in the last game). One individual there told me his footwork on defense will need some help. Those aren’t small things… they’re big.

But his strength and unique skillset, combined with his Charles Barkley-like charisma (check out him talking about coming to the defense of Zoran Dragic after a small altercation), is going to make him a huge fan favorite in Houston. Right now, if I was considering buying a Rockets jersey, I’d want White’s.

Scott Machado Summer LeagueScott Machado
I had high hopes for Machado coming in as it was both a shock to me that he 1) went undrafted and 2) chose the Rockets (Machado would admit he was tipped off that Kyle Lowry was going to be traded).

Having said that, I think he was a bit of a disappointment early, then came on strong late, eventually replacing Courtney Fortson as the starter. In his final game, he scored 20 to go with 6 dimes and 4 steals.

He’s in excellent shape and I think he’s got good point guard skills. He did not shoot very effectively (38.9% in 5 games), but I think he’s got a real chance at being an NBA backup or third string somewhere right now.

Will that be in Houston? With Jeremy Lin locked in as the starter and Toney Douglas having a guaranteed contract and Shaun Livingston partially guaranteed, there may not be room outside of a training camp invite. I don’t think the Rockets will be able to “Rio Grande” Machado — someone might be able to give him a better look. He does strike me as the type of undrafted point guard the Rockets like to invite to camp, cut, watch succeed somewhere else then bring back seven months later for $25 million.


Credit Daryl Morey, Sam Hinkie, Gersson Rosas and the Rockets scouting staff — they have had outstandings drafts the past two seasons. The key rookies all nailed it and while the odds are that not all will be major successes at the NBA level, it’s a good roll of the dice that one or more in that group will really pan out. All in all, unless you’re Marcus Morris, you have to be more excited about the Rockets’ future than you were a week ago.

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Armed with a bizarre fascination for Mario Elie and a deep love of the Houston Rockets, Dave Hardisty started ClutchFans in 1996 under the pen name “Clutch”.

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Podcast: Steven Adams, Mikal Bridges and Trade Possibilities for the Rockets

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Houston Rockets Trade Deadline 2024

The Houston Rockets already made one deal, acquiring center Steven Adams from Memphis for a handful of second-round picks, but we still have several days left before this Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.

Are more deals on the way?

Rumors of interest in Mikal Bridges have swirled, with the Rockets holding precious (and unprotected) first-round picks from Brooklyn. They also could use some help inside this season, which Adams can not provide. Shooting is always in demand.

David Weiner joined Dave Hardisty on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the Adams trade, its impact on the Rockets in 2024-25 and beyond, the Mikal Bridges rumors, the Brooklyn picks, other trade possibilities and options for Rafael Stone moving forward. Also discussed is the play of Houston’s core 6 prospects: Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Jalen Green.


CLUTCHFANS PODCAST: SPOTIFY | APPLE

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Rockets trade for center Steven Adams

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Steven Adams Houston Rockets

The Rockets made a surprise trade on Thursday, sending the contract of Victor Oladipo and three second-round picks to Memphis for center Steven Adams.

The deal came together quickly and the Rockets had a small window to get it done, hence why this trade was made with a week to go until the trade deadline.

The Price

When you consider that Memphis did this for cost savings primarily and that Adams would not play for any team in the league this season, the price seemed a little high to me. The Rockets gave up the OKC second-round pick this year, which is no big loss, but they also give up the better of Brooklyn’s or Golden State’s second-round pick this season. That’s a pretty good pick (likely in the late 30’s). They also give up the better of Houston’s or OKC’s second-round pick in 2025. If things go as planned for the Rockets, that pick should be in the 45-55 range.

But they didn’t sacrifice a first-round pick, which would have been brutal, and they were not going to use all those seconds this season. So it’s just a matter of opportunity cost — who else could they have gotten for this package?

My understanding is they (particularly Ime Udoka) are very high on Adams.

The Rockets also did this move for cap purposes as well. By moving out the Oladipo contract, which was expiring, and bringing in Adams’ deal, which is signed for $12.4M next season, the window for the Rockets to put together a trade package for a star player is extended out until the 2025 trade deadline. They continue to wait to see which players, if any, shake loose here and become available. They want flexible (see: expiring) contracts that they can combine with assets and this gives them another year to be in that position.

The Trade

It’s not often that the Rockets acquire a player I had not considered beforehand but that’s the case with Steven Adams. The Rockets sorely need a big with size that provides more traditional center strengths, making Clint Capela, Robert Williams, Nick Richards or Daniel Gafford potential candidates, but Adams was overlooked for a few reasons.

First, the 30-year old big man is out for the season after knee surgery cost him the entire 2023-24 campaign, so the Rockets won’t get any benefit from this trade this season. Secondly, Adams is not your traditional center either when it comes to rim protection.

But what Adams does do, he’s really good at and he has some of the same strengths of Brook Lopez, who the Rockets tried to sign in the offseason. Adams is quite possibly the strongest guy in the league and a legitimate 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He’s an outstanding screen-setter, something that could really benefit the likes of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson and Jalen Green. He was also an elite rebounder last season, finishing 6th in the league in caroms at 11.5 a game despite playing just 27.0 minutes a contest.

After watching Jonas Valanciunas absolutely bully the Rockets inside on Wednesday, it should be apparent by now to everyone that this was a pretty big need.

In 2021-22, the Memphis Grizzlies finished #2 in the West at 56-26. Their top two players in Net Rating that season were Dillon Brooks (+11.0) and Adams (+8.3), key cogs in a defense that held opponents to 108.6 points per 100 possessions. They’re both now Houston Rockets.

So this adds another trusted vet to Ime Udoka’s rotation.

The question is will the 30-year old Adams return to form after the knee injury? Adams sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee a year ago, which cost him the end of that season and the playoffs. He tried rehabbing it and it never got better, so surgery became the option just as this season was kicking off.

I like to think the Rockets did their due diligence on that, despite the short time it took for this deal to come together, but that’s unclear.

If he does bounce back, then Udoka has a big man he can turn to reliably in situational matchups or on nights when the younger bigs struggle. He wouldn’t be Boban or even Jock Landale in that scenario — he’s going to play, so the frontcourt depth in 2024-25 should be better. In the end, they got a starting-caliber center who will have no problems coming off the bench, and that’s what they were looking for.

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On the KPJ trade and future of the Rockets

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The Houston Rockets are back to being a professional NBA team once again.

The Rockets finally ended the Kevin Porter Jr. era on Tuesday, coughing up two second-round picks in order to unload his contract to the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting back the contract of Victor Oladipo and third-year forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The move puts an end to a long investment and very rocky tenure with KPJ.

David Weiner joined Dave Hardisty on the ClutchFans podcast to discuss the Porter Jr. Experiment, the price paid to move him, Houston’s potential trade options moving forward, the new culture and the current state of the Rockets young core.

ClutchFans Podcast: On Apple | Spotify

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Heavy investment in Kevin Porter Jr raises serious questions about Rockets front office

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Kevin Porter Jr. Rafael Stone

Soon-to-be-ex Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr was arrested last week for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, resulting in a fractured neck vertebra and a deep gash above her right eye after an attack at a hotel in New York. He allegedly woke her up by punching her repeatedly, strangled her and did not stop hitting her until she ran out of the hotel room screaming for help and covered in blood.

“This is a serious domestic violence case,” said assistant Manhattan district attorney Mirah Curzer.

First and foremost, I wish the victim healing. I don’t know what to say about the nightmare she went through. She and her family will forever be impacted. As for KPJ, if this is true, he doesn’t belong on the Rockets or in the NBA at all. He belongs in jail.

Secondly, this can’t be overlooked and just swept under the rug: Why did the Houston Rockets bank on and invest so heavily in this guy?

Kevin Porter Jr. being accused of crimes of this severity should not be shocking – at all. Before he even came to the Rockets, he had a long list of serious problems. He was suspended multiple times in high school. In 2019, he had a “conduct issue” significant enough that USC suspended the 5-star recruit indefinitely. He fell to the end of the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft because of his behavior liability. He was accused of punching a woman in the face in Cleveland. He also had a gun and marijuana charge later dismissed after getting into a car crash. He went into a tirade and got into a nasty confrontation with both the Cleveland coach and GM, resulting in the Cavs severing ties immediately and dumping him to the Rockets for nothing.

You could make the argument that initially giving Porter Jr. a second chance in Houston was praiseworthy, but the Rockets experienced KPJ’s anger management and immaturity issues firsthand on several occasions.

Former Rocket Austin Rivers said this week that this isn’t the first, second or even seventh issue with Porter Jr. and that Rockets “higher-ups” confided in him that they had no idea how to handle him.

“I remember talking to guys in the Houston Rockets organization, higher-ups, [and] they were having issues then,” said Rivers. “They were like, ‘We don’t know what to do with him.’ And that’s when he just got there from Cleveland!”

Porter Jr. was routinely a nightmare for Rockets coaches to deal with. On several occasions, he confronted and cussed out members of the coaching staff, saying they didn’t have the “credentials”, per source, a reference to the fact that him playing heavy minutes at point guard was a decision they did not control.

Once at a night out, Porter Jr. had a disagreement with a DJ over music choice and he snapped, smashing the DJ’s laptop to the floor. He needed to be restrained and removed. Rockets personnel and several of Porter’s teammates witnessed the incident.

Curzer also dropped a bombshell at the arraignment in saying that Porter Jr. has a history of abusing his girlfriend, who he had only been dating since early last year, his second season with the Rockets. Curzer specifically cited an incident in which KPJ allegedly rammed his car into hers.

There were dozens of maturity issues visible on the court to anyone paying attention. He refused to check out of games. He got into an argument on the bench with assistant Lionel Hollins. On numerous occasions, he would visibly shut down when he wasn’t passed the ball. I invite you to watch this video from a game against Memphis on March 20, 2022. Just listen to the Grizzlies broadcasters, particularly starting at the 1:40 mark, talk about what they are witnessing here:



Privately, people around the league would say they were baffled by the Rockets continued fascination with Porter Jr. Nobody could understand it.

That fascination starts with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, who by every account over the last two years was the driving force behind the investment in Porter Jr. It has been no secret. Trading for him in January 2021 was seen by some with the team as his “Harden acquisition”, code for a signature move that makes an executive’s career, much in the way landing James Harden did for Daryl Morey in 2012.

For example, former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas never considered Porter Jr. to be a point guard, per sources — playing him there was a Stone mandate because the GM believed that is where his future lied.

John Wall also told us as much publicly when he explained the phone call he got from Silas about coming off the bench. He said Silas told him “This is what the GM wants,” adding again that Silas said, “Man, you don’t deserve that. You should be the starter. This is just what they want to do.” Wall was upset because he believed KPJ should have to earn the spot.

“I have a hard time finding anybody outside of the Rockets front office that believes that Kevin Porter Jr. is a starting point guard in the NBA,” said ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon in December.

There were plenty of warning signs about KPJ to the public too.

After Porter Jr. got into a heated argument in which KPJ “physically shoved” Rockets assistant coach John Lucas and quit on the team in the middle of a game against Denver in January of 2022, leaving the arena at halftime, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix famously wrote that the Rockets should “Cut Porter Jr. Waive him. Release him. Whatever. Eat what’s left of the $1.8 million he’s owed this season and the $3.2 million he’s got next and move on.” It became a source of mockery for Porter Jr’s fans, a line they would bring up after each game he hit a few threes or handed out some assists.

In February of this year, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, one of the most connected reporters in the league, flat out warned us that he was hearing awful things about the Rockets culture and locker room. He was blunt in what the Rockets needed to do — waive Kevin Porter Jr. outright and bring in a new coach and GM.

“Just cut him. That’s it,” said Givony of Porter Jr. “And you’re sending a signal to the league that we’re going to do things differently from here on out.”

“When you talk to people around the NBA about Houston, you just don’t hear good things about their culture, about that locker room. You talk to people that are on that team, and they are like, ‘We are a mess’,” said Givony. “Do people want to work with this organization? But you can change that fairly quickly if you come in, get rid of the bad apples and you change the coaching staff, and all of a sudden, you’re Houston. It’s the third-biggest city in America. There’s a history here of you actually being good.”

Porter came to the Rockets for “free” (in exchange for a top-55 protected second-round pick, which was designed not to convey), but he proved far from it as the Rockets continued to pour investment into him. Over the last 2-3 seasons, no Rockets player got more developmental capital than Porter Jr. – not Jalen Green, not Alperen Sengun, not Jabari Smith Jr. The Fertittas paid John Wall $85+ million over two years to sit at home so the team could groom Porter Jr. to be their future point guard.

Then they doubled down. With restricted free agency on the horizon and a seemingly non-existent market for KPJ’s services, the Rockets gave Porter Jr. an extension a year sooner – a contract that was presented as a four-year, $82.5 million deal. The deal was more team-friendly than that, putting team options in it after years 1 and 3. Going from the potential disaster that was initially reported to a deal they could escape after one season felt like a “win”, but the biggest question was why they wanted him long-term at all. The unprecedented nature of a contract that size with that kind of club control clearly showed the Rockets knew there was unique and significant risk here.

After KPJ signed the extension, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko summarized the Rockets view of Porter Jr. – “As has been [their] stance for months, the Rockets have maintained the notion that Porter is a priority and is considered a huge part of their core, along with Green and Jabari Smith Jr.”

The Rockets actions to kick off the 2022-23 season showed exactly that – that he was a priority. They benched Sengun to start the season, in large part to give KPJ a “lob threat” and defender in the starting lineup. They gave him the superstar “Harden Locker”. They introduced him last in the starting lineups. They treated him as the star and empowered him to be the self-proclaimed “Head Honcho” of Clutch City.

But the extension proved unwise and foolish. Porter Jr. never even made it to the first year of it. With over $80 million on the line, he snapped again. The Rockets signed him to one of the team-friendliest deals ever and still managed to both overcommit and overpay as Stone now scrambles to attach real assets to it to get another team to take it off his books.

Is it fair to question the judgment of the Rockets front office? Absolutely and without question. Whether you look at their ability to value character, evaluate risk, scout basketball, build culture, manage assets or allocate development resources, they failed at every level here. Why didn’t they act sooner? Why did they double down? Why didn’t they hold him accountable? Why did everybody in the league see it but them?

“We value the player and the person that [Kevin Porter Jr.] is becoming and are eager to invest in him and his journey,” said Stone after rewarding him with the extension less than a year ago.

The question you have to ask yourself now is, with all they knew and witnessed about Porter Jr. both on and off the court — why were they eager at all?

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Three predictions for an important Rockets offseason

The 2023 offseason is critical for the Houston Rockets and here’s what we think will happen

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Houston Rockets Stephen Silas Alperen Sengun Kevin Porter Jr

We have almost arrived to the oasis.

For over two years, the “2023 Offseason” has been circled on the calendar as the turning point, the time when the Houston Rockets will switch gears and make winning a priority. With potentially $60 million in cap room and a top draft pick coming, this is the moment of truth that Rafael Stone and the Rockets front office pitched to the Fertittas when the rebuild began.

Does that mean the Rockets are going to magically start winning next season? Not necessarily. But it does mean we won’t see Daishen Nix run the point for 36 minutes in the name of player development. They want to win.

It’s very tough to know what will happen this offseason, given the unknown variables. The Rockets could land a top-two pick, which would bring them Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, radically boosting their future. James Harden could opt to return, which also significantly boosts their near-term prospects.

But regardless of whether or not luck presents a “lifeboat” (Harden, Wemby, Scoot), here are some things I believe will happen.

Also, if you have been joining us in RocketsWatch all season, first of all, thank you! We greatly appreciate all the fan support this season. But if you’ve stuck around through a tough season, you know that none of this will come as a surprise. I have been talking about these predictions since January.

1. Rockets, Stephen Silas Will Part Ways

Stephen Silas is going to be let go this offseason.

The original plan was for Silas to coach this season and start the next, getting a shot once the Rockets were making winning their top priority. But the bar was low this season and he still fell short. There were several times where the team needed a stronger hand and it wasn’t there. The roster wasn’t built to win, but there is no argument to be made that coaching did anything to enhance the situation.

It’s important to point out that Silas got a raw deal, coming to Houston under different circumstances expecting to coach a veteran team. But this is the hand that was dealt and the Rockets have to play it. Silas may be a fine coach, but he’s not the right coach for this team and that’s all that matters at this stage.

Ownership was ready to move on by midseason, but a variety of factors have led to him finishing the year. But this is going to be it. They sorely need fresh eyes and a different voice.

Confidence Level: 100%

2. The Kevin Porter Jr. Starting Point Guard Experiment Will End

The Rockets got Kevin Porter Jr. for free from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021, but he’s been anything but since.

Houston paid nearly $100 million to John Wall to stay at home so they could groom KPJ as their future point guard. They also signed Porter Jr to a team-friendly four-year deal despite the fact that a much more team-friendly restricted free agency was on deck.

Porter Jr. has gotten better and more comfortable at the lead guard spot in two-plus seasons, which could bode well for his future here, but it’s not near enough. He lacks ability to make advanced reads, which is one of the reasons the Rockets are dead last in corner three-point attempts. His tendency is to isolate, which is his strength, and that can create a lot of selfish basketball. In essence, the Rockets have been starting a pair of shooting guards.

The Rockets love them some KPJ, particularly Stone, so I’m not saying he’s done here. He could thrive in an alternate role, if he embraces it. But the Rockets want to make a leap next season, the first year they are on the hook to Oklahoma City for their first-round pick from the costly Russell Westbrook trade. You’re probably not going to make a bigger jump than by improving the on-court leader spot.

Confidence Level: 80%

3. Alperen Şengün Will Be Shopped

You either believe Alperen Sengun is the next Nikola Jokic or he’s a defensive liability that is too much trouble to build around. There doesn’t seem to be much in between.

Sengun is incredibly gifted offensively and is only 20 years old, so it’s very early. This is also the biggest offseason of his young career, where he won’t be preparing for EuroBasket and can specifically train for the NBA.

There is no evidence at all they are looking to trade him. I’m very much going rogue with this prediction. But consider:

   1. Internally he has been viewed as possibly the worst pick-and-roll defensive big in the league.
   2. They started Bruno Fernando over him to open the season.
   3. They rarely run the offense through him (“ŞenHub”).
   4. The Rockets are not well-positioned with future draft picks to trade and likely need to move a good young player if they’re looking at any significant deals.
   5. They believe bringing in a center is a high priority (though that could be as a backup to Sengun).

To be clear, I’m not predicting Sengun will be dumped but rather we will hear his name floated in rumors. A lot could change — a new coach could see Alpi as key to the future, for example — but right now, given all the factors listed above, I would be surprised if Sengun is the centerpiece of this rebuild. I think he’s more likely the trade piece.

https://twitter.com/RocketsWatch/status/1627944952498950147?s=20

Confidence Level: 60%

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