Ranking Rockets' Top Trade Targets After 2026 NBA Playoff Loss
Well, that was rough to watch.
Again.
For the second time in as many seasons, the Houston Rockets suffered an early exit from the NBA playoffs due in large part to offensive incompetence. They couldn't protect the basketball or do anything with it. They looked like they either had no plan of attack or just didn't have the talent to execute it.
It resulted in a 98-78 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the clinching Game 6.
Either way, the Rockets could be in for a busier summer than you'd expect for a team coming off of consecutive 52-win campaigns. They have pressing big-picture questions about their core and could absolutely decide they need a major shakeup.
3. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
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Would Herro be subjected to the same lack of trust that Reed Sheppard has received? It's possible, since Herro is a similar liability on the defensive end, but maybe his size (6'5"), experience and accolades would help him earn the benefit of the doubt.
To put that another way, maybe Sheppard would have more opportunities if he was as productive as Herro.
An All-Star in 2024-25 and Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22, Herro just averaged at least 20 points, four assists and 2.5 three-pointers for the fifth consecutive season. Only five other players can claim the same: Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and LaMelo Ball.
Herro sits awfully high within the realm of high-end perimeter producers, and he could be more efficient than ever if slotted into a secondary role alongside a scorer of Kevin Durant's ilk. And that's saying quite a lot since even without that kind of help he just posted an uber-efficient 48/37.8/91.7 shooting slash.
2. Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
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If (when?) the Bucks split from Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, they figure to plunge head-first into a top-to-bottom rebuild. While you might assume Rollins would be a no-brainer keeper as a 23-year-old who just rocketed to relevance this season, the cold, hard truth is Milwaukee might need the assets he'd return in a deal. Especially if Antetokounmpo's injury issues impact his trade price.
If Rollins hits the market, the Rockets should make a phone call. Immediately. And then a bunch more calls, texts and DMs.
Because he'd help this Houston team in ways its current guards either won't or can't due to a lack of confidence from head coach Ime Udoka. Rollins offers the very creation and shot-making skills the Rockets badly need from their backcourt only without the defensive limitations that Reed Sheppard has.
Granted, the Rockets should have a healthy Fred VanVleet next season, but asking the 32-year-old to fix everything in his first year back from an ACL tear is asking for trouble. Houston has to give itself more potential solutions, and Rollins could be a great one.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
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Between their asset collection, failure to launch into title contention and win-now expectations brought about with last summer's deal for Kevin Durant, the Rockets will almost assuredly be linked to the seemingly inevitable Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. They already are, in fact.
In terms of play style, he doesn't seem like the automatic solution to Houston's problems. If you're the Rockets, though, banking on the collective problem-solving ability of Antetokounmpo and Durant feels like a better bet than hoping this young core can figure things out on the fly.
Antetokounmpo may not correct Houston's shooting shortage or address its need for a primary playmaker, but he is so supremely talented that the Rockets might have to take the plunge anyway. Their defense would grow even stingier with Antetokounmpo wreacking havoc from the weakside, and their offense would gain potency with a perennial challenger for the scoring title.
Even his lack of spacing may not cause the logistical issues it would seem to. Because if the Rockets built their offer around Alperen Şengün, they'd basically be shipping out one non-shooter for another. But the incoming non-shooter just has a deep enough scoring bag to overcome that limitation and deliver consistent excellence regardless.
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