Report: Rockets could make stunning trade at deadline

As the Houston Rockets eye their first playoff berth since the James Harden era, they could be considering the nuclear option.

Zach Lowe of ESPN reported in his latest column that Rockets guard Jalen Green has generated some trade buzz ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline. Lowe notes that Houston wants to chase a playoff spot now and that they have so many quality young players that they likely won’t be able to pay all of them.

A trade of Green, the Rockets’ No. 2 overall pick in 2021, would be a real stunner. He is still just 21 years old and already has enormous scoring potential (averaging 19.5 points per game for his career).

But Green is not particularly efficient (shooting a career-low 41.4 percent from the floor this season) and has some detrimental isolation tendencies. As center Alperen Sengun emerges as the young stud for Houston to build around and veteran guard Fred VanVleet now in town as the steady hand initiating the offense, the Rockets might view Green as an odd man out in the long run.

Houston is not far out in the Western Conference playoff race at 22-25 (just half a game back of the play-in zone). It already made one trade earlier this week with an eye on the future and could now be considering another one to move Green before he gets too expensive.