Rockets rumors: The 1 untouchable in potential superstar trade talks

The Houston Rockets are nonetheless alive within the NBA Playoffs this season, however they’ll want a miracle to maneuver on to the following spherical. After the No. 2 seed break up its opening two video games at house, the Golden State Warriors picked up a pair of gritty wins in The Bay to take a 3-1 lead and push the Rockets to the brink of elimination.

No matter how this sequence ends, this season has been a profitable one for Houston. Ime Udoka and firm have wildly exceeded expectations with a really younger group and are getting their first style of the postseason with this core.

Nonetheless, assuming an early exit in opposition to the Warriors, the dialog will begin to shift this offseason into how the Rockets can take the next step into the highest tier of title contenders. No matter who turns into obtainable, the Rockets don’t appear to be willing to trade rising wing Amen Thompson for any potential star, in accordance with ESPN’s Tim McMahon.

“The evaluation of the initial playoff experience for the Rockets’ rising young stars will be an important element of those internal discussions,” McMahon wrote. “A blockbuster trade would require the Rockets to give up some of that young talent, although Houston has made it known to other front offices that Thompson is considered untouchable.”

The hesitancy to commerce Thompson is comprehensible for anyone who has watching him play and develop this season. He’s already among the finest wing defenders within the league and has the potential to enhance much more on that finish as he will get stronger and develops some extra savvy. Nonetheless, the offensive finish is the place he actually has some room to develop.

Thompson is basically a non-shooter in the mean time, which is the apparent and evident space that he can enhance. At instances on this sequence, the Warriors have simply caught Quentin Submit on the Additional time Elite product and allowed him to roam round on the perimeter with out actually being guarded, which has harm the Rockets’ spacing.

Thompson has flashed some playmaking chops in his second season, although these abilities are nonetheless understandably uncooked. He can enhance as a finisher as properly, although his unbelievable athleticism permits him to nonetheless get to the rim even in opposition to stronger defenders.

Among the different younger items in Houston have some questions surrounding them. Alperen Sengun has a transparent ceiling on protection. Jalen Green is too inconsistent at this point to be a real go-to scorer. Different kids, like Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard, simply haven’t been on the ground sufficient to get an actual analysis. Nonetheless, holding onto Thompson is clearly within the Rockets’ finest curiosity transferring ahead.