The Houston Rockets are in one of the best positions of any team in the NBA.
After capturing the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed last season, Houston has a bevy of young, ascending talent in Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, and Reed Sheppard.
They also have their fair share of veteran talent, including recently acquired Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Dorian Finney-Smith. The Rockets seem primed for a breakout after losing in the first round of the playoffs last year to the Golden State Warriors, but is there a trade they can make that would put them over the top?
Rockets Trade Idea Acquires All-Star Guard Trae Young
In a trade idea proposed by Athlon Sports’ Nathaniel Holloway, the Rockets ship out some of their talent to acquire Atlanta Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young.
Atlanta Hawks receive: Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and multiple draft picks
Houston Rockets receive: Trae Young
“Of course, moving on from two young players in Sheppard and Smith Jr. would be a tough decision for the Rockets to make, though swapping out VanVleet for Young could help them make a championship run this season,” wrote Holloway.
“For Young, he would give Houston another star player alongside their core of Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson and he would also give them an elite 3-point shooter and playmaker.”
While giving up three key contributors from Houston’s memorable 2024-25 season may be a tough pill to swallow, the addition of Young could unlock another level for the Rockets’ offense.
Young and Thompson would be a perfect backcourt pairing, as both complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, with Young carrying the offensive workload while Thompson defends the opposing team’s most potent scorer.
A starting lineup of Young, Thompson, Finney-Smith, Durant, and Sengun would be tough to beat in a loaded Western Conference. It could put the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder on notice.
