Three years ago, the Houston Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. It put an end to an incredibly successful era that never won a championship but delivered some of the best basketball the world has ever seen.
Chris Paul's hamstring injury in the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors will remain one of the biggest what-ifs of this generation, but it happened, and so did Harden's toxic exit.
That's brought us to where we are now. The Rockets haven't made the playoffs since the Harden trade and instead committed to a rebuild. They stockpiled young talent under head coach Stephen Silas and then made a sharp pivot this summer.
Out went Silas, and in came former Boston Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka who was relieved of his head coaching duties after helping the Celtics make the 2022 NBA Finals due to off-court affairs.
Alongside Udoka, the Rockets are welcoming free agent additions Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale, and Jeff Green and rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. They want to return to winning, but with how stacked the Western Conference is that's much easier said than done even with their off-season additions.
Expect the Rockets to be an active team on the trade market this season as they continue to look to improve their roster. Here are three players they could potentially move during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Players the Houston Rockets could realistically trade next season: 3. Jae'sean Tate
At 27 years old, on a cheap contract, and competing with some of Houston's best young talent on the depth chart it's hard to see a future for Jae'sean Tate in Houston.
Jae'sean Tate could be traded before the season starts to be honest, and in terms of return, he could just be a roster-trimming trade that equates to a salary dump. Tate is nothing special, and surplus to requirements for the Rockets.
He is 27 years old, meaning his window for dramatic improvements is all but closed. He averaged just over 9 points per game on 48/28/73 shooting splits last season. He's only owed just over $13 million for the next two seasons, and next season is a team option.
Add all of this together, and Tate is more likely to be traded before the end of next season than he is to be on the Rockets roster. He's also likely behind Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jalen Green, and maybe Kevin Porter Jr. and Tari Eason on the depth chart.
There's no space for Tate with the Rockets anymore, but hopefully, with a trade, he's able to help contribute to another organization and improve their wing rotation because Houston does not need help in that regard.
Players the Houston Rockets could realistically trade next season: 2. Kevin Porter Jr.
He's younger and has put up better numbers for the Houston Rockets, but Kevin Porter Jr. could easily be moved just like fellow teammate Jae'sean Tate during the upcoming season.
Kevin Porter Jr. is better and younger than Jae'Sean Tate, but that doesn't mean he has enough to earn steady minutes in the Rockets rotation. He averaged close to 20 points per game last season on 44/37/78 splits and is only 23 years old. Those were losing numbers though.
The averages are not awful but putting them up for a team that won only 20 games doesn't mean much. This summer's signings and draft selections also indicate their front office doesn't put much stock in his numbers either. VanVleet, Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore all likely take minutes from him and so does Jalen Green.
Porter Jr.'s four-year, $63 million contract is also barely guaranteed. There is only a partial guarantee for the 2024-25 season, a non-guarantee for 2025-26, and a team option for 2026-27. So similar to Tate, he could primarily provide trade value as a salary dump which several teams may be interested in should their seasons turn sour.
Players the Houston Rockets could realistically trade next season: 1. Tari Eason
This move would not be an indictment of Tari Eason's talent, but primarily he'd be a victim of a roster crunch.
The Houston Rockets selected Tari with the 17th overall pick of the NBA Draft last summer. For most teams, it would be surprising to move a rookie this early in his NBA career especially after Eason had plenty of positive moments in his rookie season.
But similar to the players listed before him, there just might not be enough minutes for Eason on this roster. The players he's competing for minutes with have already been listed out and unfortunately, this is a common problem rebuilding teams run into.
Acquiring a lot of draft picks is great, but those picks eventually turn into players, those players need minutes, and minutes are finite. For Eason, he could get squeezed out and moved to an organization that'd be happy to find playing time for a young two-way wing with upside.
In return, the Rockets would likely be looking at more picks which is somewhat ironic, or a young player in another position that would fill a need for them. Maybe a younger backup center or point guard to help sure up their depth.
Eason is a good player. He's not listed here because of doubts over his ability and potential, but just because he's a likely casualty of roster construction and the Rockets desire to improve. Should he be moved, expect him to thrive elsewhere.
