The Houston Rockets are always among the most aggressive NBA teams when it comes to upgrading and retooling the roster through trades and free agency. Naturally, then, you expect general manager Daryl Morey to be active ahead of the league’s Feb. 23 trade deadline.
Alas, Houston’s architect doesn’t see much activity in the cards. As he said during a question-and-answer session with ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins:
Do you want to keep this team together through the trade deadline, or is that hard given how you always want to upgrade the talent?
Morey: I think if we do anything, it will be for depth. I don’t see any big things happening. We got a good thing, a good rotation, good chemistry. I’m pretty reluctant to make any changes there.
But is it hard not to make a trade?
Morey: It all depends on the opportunities that are out there. Until you know what’s out there, it’s hard to say if something will or won’t happen. I think our [goals] going in: Is this a good group? We want to keep it together.
Like Morey indicates, the Rockets’ stance at the trade deadline depends on what deals are available. But his squad owns the NBA’s third-best record. Even if there’s a swing-for-the-fences transaction to be brokered, Morey could defer out of fear for messing with the team’s chemistry.
Of course, if, say, the Orlando Magic are willing to deal Serge Ibaka to Houston for Corey Brewer, K.J. McDaniels and a first-rounder, Morey has to listen. That trade could push the Rockets over the edge…in theory.
They already have Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela in the frontcourt, and they’re not about to bring Ibaka off the bench when he’ll be due max money in free agency. They could try bringing Capela off the bench, but that seems disingenuous to his growth. Anderson is a career sixth man, so that’s an option, but he’s making a ton of money and doesn’t form a good defensive pairing with Eric Gordon.
Still, those are the types of ideas Morey will be on the lookout for—trades that don’t demand he break up the nucleus of what has been the third or fourth best outfit in the Association.
