That’s not to suggest I necessarily think they will be traded or that they’re bad players - just that they make the most sense to be on the block from a fit standpoint. and/or Jae’Sean Tate look to me like the most likely trade candidates on the roster. The fact that he admitted the team rarely ran plays for Smith – who struggled to find quality looks throughout his rookie season – was unacceptable to me, because they were setting him up to fail - it’s not like he was known as a shot creator coming out of Auburn. One big knock I had against Silas was how disorganized the Rockets were offensively. The other three players mentioned should be safe. Sure, he’s struggled with scoring efficiency and defense, but those are normal growing pains for a young player, and it’s not like the Rockets had a strong foundation on either end of the court. He’s still only 21 years old and has two years left on his rookie contract. I don’t think the idea of trading Green should be entirely dismissed, but I’d be surprised if he’s moved. Another indicated that Green, Smith, Tari Eason and Alperen Sengun were Houston’s primary core. One rumor stated that, while interviewing head coaches, the Rockets broached the subject of including Green in trade talks to try and acquire a star this summer. There have been conflicting reports over the past week about the status of at least one member of the team’s core. After winning a tiebreaker with the Spurs, Houston will draft no lower than sixth overall. They’re certainly hoping that’s the case. Will 2023 be the year they win the lottery and select Victor Wembanyama? The past two draft lotteries have seen the Rockets land the second ( Jalen Green) and third ( Jabari Smith) overall picks. The Rockets finished 30th, 30th and 29th in defensive rating over those three seasons, so obviously improving on that front will be a top priority under new head coach Ime Udoka, who replaced Stephen Silas after the Rockets declined to pick up their option on the last year of Silas’ contract. The team finished with the worst record in the league in both ’20/21 and ’21/22, and was tied with San Antonio at 22-60 for the NBA’s second-worst mark in ’22/23. When their franchise player, former MVP James Harden, asked for - and was granted - a trade to start 2020/21, it was the beginning of a rough three-year stretch of basketball in Houston. 500 or better record for 14 consecutive seasons from 2007-20.
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