Between Jock Landale, Victor Oladipo, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone will have tradable salary to make the math work on potential deals in the weeks leading up to the February 2024 trade deadline for this season.
The Rockets (8-8) are off to a better-than-expected start to the 2023-24 campaign, and that’s despite inconsistency at shooting guard from Jalen Green and the unexpected loss of Kevin Porter Jr. just prior to the season (owing to his off-court arrest).
So, if Houston seeks an upgrade to bolster a playoff push, it would stand to reason that shooting guard could be a position of interest. But one player who won’t be a target, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, is seemingly disgruntled Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine.
From Scotto’s trade season preview, which includes information sourced from 15 NBA executives and league sources:
Looking ahead to the trade deadline, Houston will look to continue upgrading its roster with the tradeable contracts of Victor Oladipo, Jock Landale, Jeff Green, and future draft pick(s) compensation, league sources told HoopsHype.
Oladipo is on an expiring $9.45 million deal, Landale is owed $8 million this season and includes no guaranteed money next season, and Green is owed $9.6 million this season and has a team option and a non-guaranteed clause in his contract for next season, per our Rockets salaries page.
While Zach LaVine is one of the top names on the market, the Rockets are not in on his sweepstakes, HoopsHype has learned.
It’s also worth noting that over the past few seasons Jae’Sean Tate has also drawn exploratory trade interest from several playoff-caliber teams, league sources told HoopsHype.
Lastly, before signing with Houston, Reggie Bullock had interest from several teams, including the Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Clippers, and Pelicans. Given his proven 3-and-D capability and current role in Houston, he’s also a name to watch.
Story: Top NBA trade candidates for all 30 teams with help from 15 NBA executives, including reporting on Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Immanuel Quickley, Buddy Hield, Gordon Hayward, Bojan Bogdanovic, and more on @hoopshype. https://t.co/h79p8w98G6
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 29, 2023
LaVine is under contract for more than $40 million annually through the 2026-27 season (player option), though his per-game production — while good — isn’t at nearly at a superstar level. Thus, the Rockets could be aiting for a better return on investment, both financially and in terms of the asset cost that a deal would require.
For the right player, Houston does own a considerable amount of future draft capital, which could be used to incentivize a deal.
December 15, which is two weeks away, is the unofficial start to the NBA’s trade season — since that’s the date in which most players who signed contracts in the recently completed offseason become trade eligible. That opens up considerably more options and targets around the league, and Stone and the Rockets should have incentive to be aggressive as their rebuild enters its second phase.
