The Houston Rockets suffered a surprising 107-96 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, though the team maintained their position as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 28-14 record.
While it was a contest that the Rockets certainly would have preferred to take against an Eastern Conference foe fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament, certain messages were definitely sent to the franchise’s front office following the loss.
Specifically, Detroit’s ability to attack the basket with ease gave the Rockets a wake-up call that their rim-protection needs to be touched up prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Showcasing this glaring weakness, the Pistons’ Jalen Duren was able to take it to the Rockets’ star center Alperen Şengün on both ends of the floor.
Duren finished with a fantastic 16 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots while connecting on all eight of his attempts from the field. Şengün was held to just 11 points on 14 shots, finishing with a 35.7% field goal percentage.
Houston’s need for a paint presence has been felt all season, as neither Şengün or reserve center Jock Landale have ever carried a reputation for their skill at protecting the painted area.
To solve their struggles with paint defense, recent reports have indicated that the Rockets’ general manager Rafael Stone has reached out to the Portland Trail Blazers to discuss a trade centered around an explosive frontcourt talent and former Boston Celtic, Robert Williams.
“The Rockets and Trail Blazers recently conducted exploratory trade talks centered on Robert Williams,” shared Forbes’ Evan Sidery on Tuesday morning.
“Houston is openly shopping Jock Landale’s non-guaranteed multi-year contract in order to upgrade their frontcourt.”
“Portland has strong interest from contenders on Williams.”
Though he’s dealt with multiple nagging injuries over the past few seasons, Williams still has plenty left in the tank as a 27-year-old athletic marvel at the center position.
As a member of the 2022 NBA title runner-up Celtics, Williams put together his magnum opus in just his fourth season, averaging 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks, earning a seventh-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting and an All-Defensive Second Team selection.
With Portland, Williams’ injury concerns have been the main focus as he’s played a combined 20 games across his first two seasons with the franchise.
This season, he’s managed to have a bit of a resurgence in 14 appearances, contributing 6.2 points and 1.6 blocks.
Due to his positive production in only 16.9 minutes of action, Houston has appeared to be the most likely suitor for Williams as the trade deadline rapidly approaches. In a hypothetical acquisition, the 6-foot-9 leaper would be the perfect reserve option to assist Şengün with defending the rim.
In a potential deal for Williams, the Rockets would likely give up Landale along with sufficient draft compensation for a rebuilding Trail Blazers franchise.
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