Not trading Alpie.
We are about a week from training camp starting, and right now it looks like green lights all the way for the Rockets in terms of health. Steven Adams has been playing five-on-five with no restrictions apparently, and there aren’t reports of any other health problems for the Rockets at the moment. It’s all systems “Go!” for launch.
Not so much for some other teams.
I’ve tagged this with “Rockets Trade Rumors”. There are no rumors I’m aware of, and I try to be a decent person. I won’t cite myself as an “unnamed source” of a rumor. I am again, aware of no Rockets trade rumors, nor am I looking to start any.
Anyway, let’s speculate!
We’ve recently learned that the New York Knick’s primary center Mitchell Robinson is out until at least mid December. The only centers available on the Knicks roster are Precious Achiuwa, NBA 2K legend Jericho Sims, and in theory, Julius Randle for a “Five Out” look.
Meanwhile the centers in New Orleans are Daniel Theis, rookie Yves Missi, and another PF as center concept, Zion Williamson in the middle. The Pelicans also have Karlo Matkovic who can play center as well, but he’s regarded as a developmental player. Perhaps those are enough centers for the Pelicans?
Meanwhile the Rockets have ascending star Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams (on a one year deal) and Jock Landale. If Adams is healthy, and by all reports he is, the Rockets have excellent center depth, or a center to trade, perhaps?
I doubt the Rockets would trade a viable center to Southwest Division rival Pelicans, but you never know. Under no circumstances should they trade for Brandon Ingram. The resounding sound of literally nothing happening towards him being re-signed and traded, or traded should be signal enough. Stay away.
As for the Knicks? They just don’t have much to trade, having thrown basically everything, and the MSG kitchen sink into the deal to bring the Ultimate Form of The Nova Knicks together. Except, well, Landale isn’t expensive. You could, say, send Landale to the Knicks for Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet and someone else, like Jericho Sims.
Does that really make the Rockets better? It’s unclear. It gives them another big athletic guy to develop in Dadiet, which is clearly what they need at this point.
Kawhi Leonard had another procedure on his knee (this seems to coincide roughly with him being sent home from USA Basketball camp for the Paris Olympics). If Kawhi is out, you’ve got basically…James Harden, Ivica Zubac and I guess Kevin Porter Jr.
If Kawhi is toast, again, after getting another extension by playing most of a season, will the Clippers look to burn it down? They’d have to do what the Nets did, and get their drafts back. But they might also look to be getting off longer deals. The Clippers might want to unload Ivica Zubac while his deal is still cheap (around $11.5 million). A trade of Adams for Zubac works straight up. But that constrains the Rockets with Zubac on an ascending ($18, $19, $21 starting in 25-26) deal.
Could the Clippers throw in a sweetener? It’s hard to see what that might be. Still, Zubac is the better all around center, and four years younger than Adams. Sengun and Zubac, while not exactly a defensive wall at center, would be a hard pair to stop.
Anyhow, this all falls under the realm of “idle speculation waiting for camp to open”. But you never know…