2 last-minute NBA Trade Deadline predictions for the Houston Rockets

We are less than one week away from the NBA trade deadline and the Houston Rockets are one of the teams expected to make a move. Rumors have surrounded the Rockets for the last couple of months concerning their attempts to build a championship contender. This young team has been great but they are young. Led by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and emerging star, Amen Thompson, the Rockets have been the surprise of the Western Conference thus far.

However, the question remains; what will the Rockets do at the trade deadline? Let’s break it down and predict what could happen within the next week in Clutch City. If Houston decides they do want to make a move (big or small), there are plenty of options in terms of players that could push Houston past just being a playoff contender into being a title contender.

Prediction 1: The Rockets might do nothing and continue rolling

It’s been an outstanding first half of the NBA season for the Houston Rockets. At 32-15, the Rockets have been in second place in the Western Conference for most of the season with no signs of slowing down. As the trade deadline approaches, Houston has been involved in multiple trade rumors over the past few months although it seems none interest the team.

First, it was the Jimmy Butler rumors earlier this season. If Butler were three years younger and not due a $52 million player option next season, this trade might be feasible for the Rockets who could use a playoff-proven commodity like Jimmy Buckets. However, trading away young players along with draft picks isn’t the way Houston wants to go right now for an aging star whose best basketball could be behind him.

Then there was the talk of De’Aaron Fox being an option for a while but the Rockets recently shot down any notion of interest in making that deal. It’s a deal that would make sense for Houston but would likely come at a steep price. The way the Rockets have played, especially in the past month, makes it seem like they are happy where they are at the moment. You can’t argue with results although the playoffs are much different from the regular season. But Ime Udoka is a confident coach and this team has taken on his tough, no-nonsense personality on the court.

Prediction 2: Houston makes a different move

So, if the Rockets don’t make a move on the two big names they’ve already been attached to (Jimmy Butler and De’Aaron Fox), who might the team go after in their place? In the tier below Butler and Fox are players like Cam Johnson in Brooklyn and Brandon Ingram. Either of these players would bolster Houston’s chances of making a deep run especially if they can keep Jalen Green in the fold.

Johnson or Ingram would bring a sorely needed shooting touch to this young Rockets squad. This season, Johnson is shooting a career-high, 41.9 percent from 3-point range and shoots at a clip of 39.6 percent in his career. He’s having a breakout year and that includes career-highs in points per game (19.4) and overall field goal percentage (49.1). Acquiring a player like Johnson would only help the Rockets and probably wouldn’t cost them as much in assets as Fox or Butler.

Ingram is a player who brings a calming presence to any team as he goes along producing his 22-24 points per game. It’s usually done quietly but eventually, you look up and see the box score and Ingram has 25 points, five rebounds and five assists like clockwork. Like Johnson, Ingram could be inserted into coach Udoka’s rotation without missing a beat and make Houston better.

Both players have some playoff experience which is more than can be said for most of the Rockets’ roster outside of the veterans like Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams and Jeff Green. Of those four, only VanVleet and Brooks would likely see significant minutes in the postseason. So, potentially adding a player like Johnson or Ingram would add another veteran scoring presence without breaking the bank to land them.