In recent news, the Houston Rockets sent Small Forward Chase Budinger on a plane north to Minnesota for the Timberwolves' 18th pick in the 2012 draft. This gives the Rockets the 14th, 16th, and 18th draft picks. So, what are the Rockets doing with all of these picks, other than becoming the Ma Bell of the first round of the 2012 NBA draft?
1) The Rockets are trying to place young talent around the pieces they have left - i.e. Kevin Martin and Luis Scola. This is, of course, assuming Goran Dragic does not return to Houston next season. Here, the Rockets would likely select from young rookie talents such as Perry Jones, Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, Terrence Ross, Terrence Jones, and maybe even Jeremy Lamb or Jared Sullinger.
2) Houston will attempt to trade all or a number of their picks to Orlando in an attempt to get Dwight Howard. This seems very plausible, as the Rockets could offer either Martin or Lowry and some enticing draft picks to the Magic, who would seemingly be willing to jump at the possibility of getting some decent returns for their indecisive big man. However, as of late, rumors have surfaced that Dwight would not re-sign with Houston if traded there. Perhaps these rumors will be enough to deter the Rockets, as Dwight is extremely difficult to please.
3) The Rockets ship all or most of their draft picks to the Sacramento Kings for Tyreke Evans. This seems to be the most recent rumor to hit the web, and it appears to make sense. Ever since the Rockets set their heart on retrieving Pau Gasol last offseason, an attempt that was unsuccessful, they have been desperate to bring a major player to town. While Tyreke Evans may not be Pau Gasol, he would certainly help their franchise. On the other hand, Sacramento would gain a bunch of new, young talent, as they also hold the 5th pick. This deal could just be the revitalizing lift the Kings need.
Options 1 and 3 are the most sensical, as the Rockets could use the likes of Tyreke Evans or some young talent. While Superman's talents would be nice, he would likely leave the organization after one year of play, and the Rockets would repeat what the Magic are currently encountering.
Pau Gasol is back on the market, albeit with a heavy price (an established player and a top 10 draft pick). They could always pursue that move.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of stockpiling those draft picks and using them to build a young team around the veterans you talked about. With three players on rookie contracts they will be locked in long-term and will be relatively inexpensive, opening some cap space to bring in a respectable free agent.