Houston Rockets news: De'Aaron Fox pursuit, vets at the trade deadline and more

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Houston Rockets have been one of the teams mentioned that could make a big move to solidify their chances at making a championship run this spring. However, according to some sources, that notion may be a bit premature.

Regardless, the Rockets have been hot as fish grease recently and they’ve flat-out dominated the Eastern Conference over the past week. This young team is making plenty of noise but it’s yet to be seen if they keep it going during the second half of the season.

The Rockets are heating up

It’s been a successful season for the Rockets thus far as they are smashing expectations. Houston is 8-2 in its last 10 games and has won four in a row after beating the Atlanta Hawks 100-96 on Tuesday night. During this four-game winning streak, which is tied for the longest in the NBA at the moment, the Rockets beat the top two teams in the Eastern Conference (Cleveland 2x, Boston once) three times.

Head coach Ime Udoka has this young Houston squad looking like they will be a force in the playoffs. This team plays defense at a high level ranking fourth in the league in defensive rating (108.3) and tied for fifth in steals per game (9.2). If you’re a fan who fancies a little old-school NBA hoops action, these Rockets might be right up your alley. It might not be that hardcore, slug it out, grind it out style of the 1990s, but there are some elements of that mentality seeing how Udoka played in the mid-00s when that style was still somewhat prevalent.

With every win, this team grows more confident, which is always good, especially for the younger players. Amen Thompson has emerged as a key piece this year and continues to amaze every time he steps on the court. The burgeoning star hit the game-winner with 0.7 seconds on the clock, to beat the Celtics on Monday. He ended that game with 33 points. In the game before that, Thompson had 23 points in the win over the Cavs in Cleveland. Udoka’s team is becoming a monster out west.

Rockets staying away from pursuit of De’Aaron Fox

Now that the Sacramento Kings are officially taking calls on De’Aaron Fox, of course, the Houston Rockets have excluded themselves from the fray. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Rockets are not expected to make a play or pursue Fox in a trade. As good as Houston has been this season, it feels like they’ll need a little more firepower once the postseason rolls around if they plan on making a deep run. Be that as it may, it’s hard to argue with the results they’ve produced so far.

“According to team sources, Houston’s stance — keeping its 31-14 [before Tuesday’s win over Atlanta] roster intact — has not changed, even if Fox is indeed available. The Rockets front office is pleased with the growth of its young roster and intend to ride the team's current momentum into the postseason. Any potential blockbuster move — or at least serious internal conversations about one — would be better positioned for the offseason, those sources say.” – Kelly Iko The Athletic

Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Thompson look like they could be the big three to lead this team, however, none of them has any playoff experience under their belts. Everyone has to have a first time but it’ll be interesting to see how the team’s lack of playoff experience overall, other than a few guys comes into play in April and May. Of the seven players logging at least 22 minutes per game in Udoka’s rotation, only two, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have played significant minutes in the postseason.

Does experience matter at the NBA Trade Deadline?

If you’re someone who subscribes to the theory that “experience” means nothing once you get to the postseason, then there’s nothing to worry about. Super young teams don’t win NBA titles, it’s just a fact of the matter. No matter how talented and how much upside they possess, teams led by players under 25 simply don’t make it there or advance deep into the postseason. The 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder were an exception, not the rule. The 2015 Golden State Warriors are the youngest team based on the age of its core (top three players) at just under 26 years old.

Houston’s core, led by Green and Sengun, both 22 years old, is well ahead of schedule in terms of rebuilding and establishing a culture under Udoka. If they were to bring in Fox, 27, it would add a Bonafide, clutch bucket-getter plus, a player who’s at least been in the trenches during the NBA playoffs. But if we’re to believe, Iko’s sources, the Rockets have no interest in upsetting the apple cart in Clutch City.