Surprise, surprise: The always-aggressive Houston Rockets are expected to be aggressive ahead of NBA’s Feb. 23 trade deadline.
In other words: Houston has no plans to change.
Here’s ESPN.com’s Marc Stein on Rockets-related rumblings—past, present and future:
The Rockets, according to league sources, were among the teams that looked into acquiring Mike Dunleavy last week when Atlanta was initially searching for a third team to get involved in the Kyle Korver trade with Cleveland.
Sources say Houston is not currently itching to make a move — why would you want to change much at 31-10? — but these are still the uber-aggressive Rockets. So count on them to stay on the lookout for an extra shooter or one more big man as the Feb. 23 trade deadline draws near.
Sources say, furthermore, that swingman K.J. McDaniels has emerged as the most likely Rocket to move this trade season … more likely now than Corey Brewer. Our own Zach Lowe reported recently that the Rockets were gauging Brewer’s trade value, but Brewer has since moved back ahead of McDaniels in D’Antoni’s rotation.
Mike Dunleavy would be kind of interesting in Mike D’Antoni’s three-point-heavy system should the Atlanta Hawks decide to become sellers again. But he couldn’t get going in Cleveland, so it’s tough to imagine he would do much better in a faster-paced Rockets scheme.
Corey Brewer and K.J. McDaniels are the extent of the Rockets’ expendable assets, which poses a problem. They won’t get anything of real value for either, unless they attach a first-round pick in a deal that, in all likelihood, will have to feature a fervid seller.
Fortunately for the Rockets, it’s not like they need any immediate tweaking. They have the third-best record in the league and are only a half-game back of the San Antonio Spurs for the second-best showing. James Harden is detonating nightly, the defense is better than expected and, insofar as the Golden State Warriors have threats in the Western Conference, Houston has demanded to be taken seriously as currently constructed.
Whatever, or whomever, they get at the trade deadline is gravy.
