Rockets Trade Rumors: Goran Dragic, Patrick Beverley and Top Pre-Deadline Buzz

The Houston Rockets are very much in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff race, but the current No. 4 seed isn't content to maintain the status quo.

Few teams have generated as much buzz as the Rockets leading up to Thursday's deadline, which doesn't come as much of a surprise. They have made some splashy moves via trades and free agency in recent years, and they are undoubtedly looking to make an impact once again.

With the deadline quickly approaching, here is a look at the latest trade rumors surrounding one of the Western Conference's top contenders.

Goran Dragic

The Rockets are among the most complete teams in the NBA, particularly when center Dwight Howard is healthy. One area in which they can certainly stand to improve, though, is their point guard play.

Houston doesn't have a truly dynamic distributor at that position, which may be why it has shown so much interest in former Rockets and current Phoenix Suns star Goran Dragic. The Slovenian guard is in the midst of another strong year after garnering NBA Most Improved Player honors last season.

According to Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today, the Rockets have already tried to acquire Dragic this season. They have made some other strong additions instead, but it looks as though they still want to bring him in.

Per Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times, the Rockets are so smitten with Dragic that they may even be willing to meet the lofty asking price of a first-round pick:

The main thing standing in the way of a reunion, though, appears to be a lack of interest on Dragic's end. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Rockets aren't on his short list of preferred destinations due to his fear that they may try to trade him.

This is despite the fact that Dragic made comments to the Houston Chronicle in January that he would consider signing with the Rockets if he hit free agency, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

"Every team in the NBA is an option to me, because it is a privilege to play for any team in the NBA," Dragic said. "When the time comes, I'm going to sit down with my family and my agent and try to make the best decision for myself."

With that said, it would be very difficult for the Rockets to sign the impending free agent to a long-term deal even if they do manage to acquire him, according to Stein:

Dragic is having a great season, with per-game averages of over 16 points in four assists, but as he showed last year by racking up over 20 points and nearly six helpers per contest, he can perform at an elite level when put in the right position.

The now-28-year-old point guard truly started to emerge while with the Rockets in 2011-12, and he could now be the missing piece to a championship puzzle.

Dragic may be nothing more than a rental in Houston, but it can be argued that it would be worth it for the Rockets to give up a first-round pick to get him regardless.

Patrick Beverley

Should the Rockets land Dragic, they may have to give up more than just a first-round selection. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the package heading in Phoenix's direction would likely include point guard Patrick Beverley as well.

The 26-year-old Beverley is Houston's current starting point guard. He is heralded as a pest and a strong defensive presence along the perimeter, but he is far from a force on the offensive end.

Although he is averaging nearly 11 points per game, Beverley's 3.3 assists per contest speak to the notion that he isn't a top-notch passer and playmaker. The same can't be said for Dragic, which is almost certainly why the Rockets are so enthralled with him.

An interesting wrinkle that could have an impact on such a trade, though, is the fact that Dragic and Beverley are represented by the same agency as they get set to enter free agency, per Wojnarowski:

This type of deal would seemingly make sense for both sides, however. The Rockets apparently want to get more dynamic at the point guard position, and they would accomplish that by bringing in Dragic.

The Suns already have a point guard logjam with Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas on the roster, but Beverley would bring something different to the table as a defensive stopper rather than a pure scorer or distributor.

There is no question that Beverley is a great competitor who has been an asset to the Rockets, but he may not be back in Houston next year anyway, so parting ways with him in order to acquire Dragic may be a worthwhile gamble.

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