Kosta Koufos Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Kings C

The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of frontcourt options at the moment, so Kosta Koufos could be used as a trade chip ahead of the Feb. 23 deadline.

Continue for updates.

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Rockets Show Interest in Koufos

Friday, Dec. 30

ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Friday that the Houston Rockets have set their sights on Koufos as they look to add to their depth at center.

Trading for Koufos would be a sensible addition for the Rockets. According to NBA.com, Houston is 26th in points allowed in the paint (45.7 points per game). The team is also allowing opposing teams to shoot 63.4 percent inside five feet, which is 28th.

Although he doesn't offer a lot of value on the offensive end, Koufos is a solid rim protector. The Kings are allowing four fewer points per 100 possessions when he's on the court, per NBA.com.

Below is a look at how shooters have performed when matched up against the 27-year-old, courtesy of NBA.com's player tracking data:

Split	FGM	FGA	FG%	Avg. FG%	Diff.
Overall	111	240	46.3	48.1	-1.9%
Three-Pointers	15	44	34.1	37.0	-2.9%
Two-Pointers	96	196	49.0	51.6	-2.6%
Less Than Six Feet	60	97	61.9	61.7	0.2%
Less Than 10 Feet	76	142	53.5	56.9	-3.4%
Greater Than 15 Feet	29	82	35.4	38.7	-3.3%

Acquiring Koufos would likely come at a fairly steep cost. The Cleveland Cavaliers surrendered two first-round picks to get Timofey Mozgov in January 2015.

Still, the Rockets are having an unexpectedly good season. Most expected Houston to be on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff picture, not holding down the third seed in the West.

If the Rockets hope to make a deep playoff run, they'll have to improve defensively. Adding Koufos would undoubtedly help address that concern.