Sheldon Wohlman of Utility Sports jumps into a Houston Rockets trade guide ahead of the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline as the young, up-and-coming Rockets are a lethal team to watch for when it comes to acquiring a true 1A star player out in the open market. While discussions centered around Jimmy Butler may appear as noise, the Rockets are truly best suited to patiently await the arrival of a younger superstar player. Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the headliners of the potential options the Rockets may consider trading for in the not-so distant future. Leave a like and subscribe for more NBA Content!
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0:00 – Houston Rockets Trade Guide Intro
1:10 – Video Preview
2:21 – Tradeable Players Excluding the Core Nucleus
5:00 – Houston Rockets Future Draft Picks
6:20 – Rockets long-term cap space
8:03 – Are the Houston Rockets buyers at the 2025 Trade Deadline
11:25 – Potential NBA Trade Partners
13:49 – Projected Activity Level
16:00 – Comment, Like and Subscribe
#rockets #nba #utilitysports #tradedeadline
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32 comments
Nice video
Interesting take…I like it, but don't agree in your version of the Rockets' future.
Point one: You talk about patience for this season…mainly on the trade market. Only because the one movable player that makes sense cannot be traded until the offseason (JG), plus he is still on his cheaper rookie contract which doesn't allow for good salary matches with star players. I have been saying this since the off season…if the Rockets cannot find a good deal for JG (which they won't because of his cheap contract will force them to mess up the team just to trade JG), then they will extend him and keep him for the season.
Point two: Yes, Booker makes more sense than KD due to age, but Booker comes with 3 more years of a max contract at ages 29-31. This will go against the genius moves that the Rockets' front office has been doing since the post Harden trade. BTW, you should give credit where credit is due…Stone is the GM since then and is the main reason they are where they are now…he is a Basketball genius. You seem to ignore that if the Rockets take on Booker's max, then that is one of the young core that they cannot give a max to…what is better, a max to a 29-31 yo or a max to a 25-30 yo? And you talk about KD age, Giannis and DB are older than their young core too and the Rockets will be wanting to maximize their future.
Point three: JG is their SG…Booker is a SG and Cam has been playing SG this season and much of last season. He is 20yo with 2+ years on his rookie contract. I see that the Rockets view him as their future SG (SF secondary) with Reed splitting time at PG and SG. Reed has 3+ years on his rookie contract. Those two gives the Rockets the genius flexibility that you say is how the Rockets operate.
Point four: I like that you talked about the trade with the Nets…a 1st rounder & swap for two 1st rounders and 2 swaps from the Suns and I know you and others point to that for the Rockets going after Booker or KD. You forget a different possible reason Stone did that. As you pointed out they have 2 first + 1 swap in 2027 & 2029. This is the Rockets' timeline when they will be full of max contracts from their young core and they will start to lose some to free agency at that point and later. These 4 first rounders gives them an injection of young talent on cheap rookie contracts that they will need to extend their dominance. This makes so much more sense than using those draft picks to trade for Booker (as you think they will).
Point five: If the Rockets don't make a deal with the Suns that includes the Suns not getting back their 2027 & 2029 picks, then that makes a successful Suns' rebuild that much harder and that will benefit the Rockets in the West. Also, don't forget that the Rockets have the Suns' 2025 pick and as of now it would be a lottery pick (#12)…plus, the Suns are one injury away (and KD is injury prone) from making that a top 7 pick…WOW, what a great trade with the Nets. All Hail Stone…again.
Point six: I don't see the Rockets necessarily using JG to get a star player anyways. Like I said, an older max will prevent maxing one of the young core. Plus, Stone seems to want to pushout his first round assets further into the future. A JG trade for an $30m vet on an expiring contract (or a backup + an expiring contract) + 1st rounders in the years 2030 & 2032 would fit Stone's genius to further extend their dominance. I can see a aging contending team giving up a couple 1st round picks for JG (possibly top 5 protected).
Point seven: Stone, the owner and coach have REPEATEDLY said they love their roster…why don't peeps listen to this? Plus, Udoka already has them at a top 4 record in the NBA and they are only going to get better due to their young core. There is no reason to mess with that…not even to fulfill your star-power trade happy narrative.
Be Patient…enjoy the coming dynasty…Go Rockets
Jalen 💪🏾
Alperen Sengunn 🎉🎉
Great video. Rockets have to be patient and wait to see if/who of the young core emerges
Anothny Edward’s if the wolves explode
As a houstonian rockets suck
Rockets are trash
Lol man yall tripping with the trades
Stephen Adam doesn't fit in the Rockets
Sengun, Amen & Cam, Jabari & Tari
dearon fox over rated just split time with Holiday@Pg &Van Fleet@Pg, even Amen Thompson@Pg, i say Holiday is same as Fox only Jrue Holiday &Sga is better than both &i'm a kings fan
Amen and Eason
Amen, Sengun, Jabari
Just trade FVV for Harden and watch this Cook 🤘🏾
Great analysis! 💯
FVV is the only player on the roster that has to go.
For what??? Man, Booker is not getting younger.
I would say ride out the roster this season and hope for the Jabari, Cam and Reed to grow as offensive weapon. If Jabari can consistently give us 20pts and Cam/Reed filling up 10pts each will make us better offensive team. Jalen ain’t playing good but Fox and Bookers price tag is too high for the package we need to ship out
we're staying pat…. none of those guys went thru the trials and tribulations of losing year after year… these current guys deserve the glory
Why would we want to trade with the bucks for giannis ? Do u realize how bad the floor spacing would be with him and sengun? If I was the rockets gm I'm not interested in butler kd d book giannis none of these guys. I'm only interested in fox if he becomes available 1 because he is still young enough he can grow with this young core. 2 we are winning right now with van vleet who stinks and should never be anymore than a back up. The only untradeable players for me would be amen and sengun. Eason is a good defender but it's not like there isn't more of his player build like him in the nba. I did not say jalen green who is also a problem because I was saying all year and the last year the better player is cam whitmore and to play him the dude gets bucks and can shoot he is better than jalen green he needs the opportunity to show it
When we were tanking, my favorite player was JT, he always played well no matter what, and it sucked for him especially when he went undrafted and went and played in Germany and Australia but eventually made his way to the NBA only to be on a tanking team and now that were doing good he's getting pushed out of rotation. He is still one of my favorite players besides Amen, Cam, Tari, Dillon, Jabari and Sengun. I really don't want to see JT get traded but if he does, I'll always support him.
Why would Rockets trade when Rockets are 2nd in the western conference.
Best trade is no trade. Wait for Ant or LaMelo
Jalen, & Amen
I would keep Tate and Holiday. You’re going to need those guys in the playoffs.
the suns will never trade booker for a package around post extension jalen green lmfao this is the worst 2k gm video of all time
Amen!
My favorite Rocket is Tari Eason's mom.
Peso Tari
I feel like Anthony Edward’s will want to leave Minnesota. If that’s the case I feel like Houston has the best chance to get him. But how much would we need to give up for him?
Jabari Smith Jr. 1-5 beast. Amen, Cam, and Tari as well.
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