Trade No. 6: Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets finished one spot behind the Golden State Warriors in the standings last season, but while the Warriors are clinging to their spot, Houston is cleared for liftoff.
They have as good of a collection of young players as any team in the league outside of Oklahoma, with guards in Reed Sheppard and Jalen Green, wings like Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason, and bigs like Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun. When you add in the key veterans the team brought in around those young players, namely Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, you get a well-balanced and talented team on the rise.
What the Rockets lack is a superstar, an offensive fulcrum with which to run everything. Green, Sengun or Thompson could pop and become that player, and Sheppard could be one of the best shooters in the league one day, but they don't know that they have that top-tier guy yet.
What if they traded for him? Specifically, Stephen Curry? He could immediately elevate the team to another level, providing a centerpiece for the offense and a face of the franchise. If the Rockets are ready to push in some chips and get better fast, Curry represents that top-tier level of player to go after.
The Rockets kept around Jeff Green and Jock Landale as matching salary for a trade, but Curry makes so much that Houston is almost forced to include Fred VanVleet. Add in a couple of prospects as value, and the Rockets don't even need Green or Landale for this transaction.
Here is what a trade could look like:
The Rockets could build out a team around Curry, with a plethora of options on who to start. Perhaps Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun would get the start, but other names like Reed Sheppard, Jae'Sean TateTari Eason and Steven Adams would be in the mix as well, not to mention Green and Landale. Even making a major trade like this they would still have plenty of depth.
Who Says No? Stephen Curry may enjoy the lack of income tax in Texas, and he may also enjoy playing with a team with so much young energy and dynamic two-way playing ability. Do they have enough for him to think they can win a title? Probably not.
The Rockets are hunting for a star to trade for, and this cost isn't exorbitant, so it seems realistic enough from their vantage point. The return for the Warriors is somewhat "eye of the beholder" as it depends on how they view Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore. If they believe in both prospects, this is a substantial trade package for Curry and potentially enough for them to be comfortable pulling the trigger.