The Houston Rockets enter Saturday at 15-40, which marks the worst record in the Western Conference. For the young and rebuilding team, a 2022 playoff push is already off the table, for all practical purposes.
Yet, in addition to keeping veteran guard Eric Gordon at Thursday’s trade deadline, they also traded for veteran guard Dennis Schroder from the Boston Celtics. While there are certainly some fans who want the Rockets to prioritize minutes for younger players, general manager Rafael Stone clearly sees value in select veterans assisting those younger prospects with their development — including via on-court roles.
