The Houston Rockets are expected to make some improvements to the roster this offseason, but it remains to be seen which methods they will use to accomplish that.
The Rockets can make some moves in free agency, but the trade market would bring a bigger splash. Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes suggests the trade that would send Jabari Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Tari Eason, and a 2027 second-round pick to the Wizards for Anthony Davis.
“Houston adds another veteran star to a timeline that
officially pivoted to “win now” when Kevin Durant came aboard while also preserving its ability to put immense size and elite rebounding on the floor at all times. The fit between Davis and Alperen Sengün would be fascinating, even if spacing would be a concern,“ Hughes wrote.
In this hypothetical deal, the Rockets and Wizards would turn this into a sign-and-trade since Eason is a restricted free agent this offseason. Overall, the value isn’t a massive blow to the Rockets. Eason might leave in free agency and Finney-Smith failed to play up to expectations in his first season in Houston. The real loss would be Smith Jr., who was the number three overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Smith is one of the rising defenders in the league, and at just 23 years old, he still has a lot of room for growth in his game. Losing him would be a blow, but if the Rockets feel like they are in win-now mode, swapping him for Davis could be a move that helps Houston in the long run.
Davis’ injury history lessens the value Washington can get in a potential trade, but a healthy version of AD would push the Rockets in the right direction. Davis and Sengün would be a strong pair inside with Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson holding down the perimeter.
TDS community, do you like the idea of trading for Davis? Let us know in the comments section below.
