Is it summertime yet?
It depends on where you live. Some folks are breaking out the beach balls and sunscreen. Others are forced to decide between the spring jacket and the hoodie.
If you’re a fan of the Houston Rockets, it’s “buns out” season. We’re not just referring to the stifling heat in the Energy Capital. Rockets fans are watching the postseason, and dreaming of the offseason.
Luckily, they don’t need to think too hard about the summer. Bleacher Report is doing their thinking for them. Recently, they named Buddy Hield as the Rockets’ “realistic” offseason target, and Mikal Bridges as their “dream” acquisition.
Should the Rockets target either of them?
Should Houston Rockets target Buddy Hield?
Hield is a no-brainer – depending on the cost, of course.
The Rockets badly need shooting. We’ve typed that sentence so often that it’s burned into our muscle memory. The fingers move themselves.
It’s been reported that the team has some interest in Malik Beasley. He feels like a more realistic target. Hield is one of the best movement shooters in the NBA. He’ll find more money than the non-taxpayers mid-level exception on the open market.
Yet, as Bleacher Report points out, Hield could be interested in signing with an up-and-coming team like the Rockets. The team should be thrilled to bring him on board if he’s willing to take a pay cut.
What about Bridges?
Should Houston Rockets target Mikal Bridges?
The inference here is that the Rockets would still be flipping Jalen Green for Bridges.
That’s entirely fair. We still wouldn’t include Green in a package for Bridges. It’s worth exploring his potential for a while longer.
Besides, Green alone won’t fetch Bridges. The Rockets would have to send the Nets some of their draft capital back. Sure, they could take some of the first-rounders the Nets own from the Phoenix Suns in the process. Still, Bridges is a proven commodity – he’ll have more value on the trade market than Green.
That means the Rockets would be looking at a value loss in draft capital. As good as Bridges is, he’s not worth taking that loss at this stage of Houston’s rebuild – along with a high-upside player like Green.
If the Nets would be open to a deal centered around, say, Dillon Brooks and their picks for Bridges and a Suns pick or two, the Rockets should bite. Otherwise, they should stick to more realistic targets like Hield:
Let’s see how Green performs when the weather starts to cool down.
