NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Reasons Houston Rocket Aaron Brooks Will Be Gone Next Year
Last year was a banner year for Aaron Brooks. Forced to carry the load offensively for extended stretches when nobody else was passing, Brooks put on a shooting clinic at times, connecting on a team record number of three-pointers in one season. He averaged about 20 points, five assists and did so at a reasonably efficient rate.
This year has been quite the opposite. After rolling his ankle on Manu Ginobili and struggling for some time with his shot, Brooks has appeared to have lost nearly all confidence in his shot. Frustrated and angry, Brooks has looked like a completely different player from the 2009 player that got all the hype as the "next big thing."
He's now on the bench behind Kyle Lowry and can't buy a bucket. Often Brooks will get so absorbed in himself that he will shoot horrible shots for possession after possession.
With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching, if Brooks gets traded it will be no surprise. Why?
Read on and find out the five reasons why.
5. Ishmael Smith
1 of 5
One of the more compelling arguments for keeping both Brooks and Lowry is that having two high-quality point guards is extremely valuable in a league where some teams don't even have one. However, another point guard on the roster, Ishmael Smith, is making the case that the Rockets perhaps have three quality point guards on the team.
With both Lowry and Brooks missing time in the beginning of the year, Smith was forced to come in and run the team for spurts. While he didn't score nearly as efficiently as he should, he showcased tremendous ball skills, speed and passing ability.
Signed for another year at a very low rate, Smith would give the Rockets another option at the point should Brooks go. While Smith might be stretched as a starter, he is already a very solid backup point guard and should only get better as he learns the NBA game.
Given that he will only cost the Rockets $788,872 next year, Smith is the better option for the Rockets as a backup point guard than Brooks could be at $6 million or more.
4. Money
2 of 5
Going into the year, Aaron Brooks was extremely unhappy with the Rockets' hard line approach which does not allow for extensions to be offered to players for fear of overcommitment. Now, as Brooks' payday approaches, the Rockets will likely look to move Brooks.
With Brooks coming off a rookie contract, he will be a restricted free agent in July, meaning the Rockets will have the ability to match any offer. Given their past history, they would not sacrifice an asset for nothing so they will either match the offer or trade Brooks away.
If they choose to hold onto Brooks in anticipation of matching an offer for him, they will be committing between $10-14 million to one position, the point guard position. Without an elite player at the position, the pay would be excessive for one position.
Brooks is going to get his payday; it's just a question of where. Given the high cost associated with retaining Brooks, look for the Rockets to trade him.
3. Kyle Lowry's Improved Play
3 of 5
After an offseason in which Kyle Lowry expressed a desire to sign somewhere he could start, he got his wish granted when Aaron Brooks went down with an ankle sprain just five games into the season. After getting the starting role, he's taken it by the horns and not allowed Rick Adelman to even think about giving Brooks the job again.
Averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, minutes, three-point shooting and steals, Lowry has taken a major step forward despite being faced up against tougher first-team defenses. His incredible rebounding has merely been good this year as a guard, but otherwise he's been a slam dunk.
Most importantly, he's making plays in the biggest moments. With the clock winding down, there is not a better shooter on the team than Kyle Lowry. When the team needs a stand, Kyle Lowry can be counted on to force the point guard into a tough shot.
Just a couple of days ago against Memphis, Lowry made two of the biggest defensive plays of the season at the end of regulation. With the Rockets needing a stop, the Grizzlies eventually got the ball into the hands of 7'1" Marc Gasol who was going up for a layup when Kyle Lowry blocked him at the rim. Later, in overtime with the clock running down and the ball headed for the seats, Lowry wisely tossed the ball as far towards the other side of the court so the Grizzlies would have no chance to win the game.
These little plays are plays that Lowry makes, and Brooks does not. They are also a huge part of the reason why Lowry is the point guard of the future, and Brooks is not.
2. Houston Rockets Aggression at the Trade Deadline
4 of 5
Every year since Daryl Morey took over at the helm as general manager, the Rockets have made a trade at the deadline. Whether it was nabbing Kevin Martin or Kyle Lowry, the Rockets are not afraid to make a move in February.
Now, with a good number of attractive players available in trades, the Rockets are even more likely to be active this February. Given that they are likely going to be going after high value players, they will have to give up something to get him.
Brooks seems to be the likely player to be moved. He is on an expiring contract and will get big money at the end of the year, plays at the position where the team has perhaps the most superfluous talent and has butted heads with the coaching staff.
If somebody goes, it is likely Brooks. Given that the Rockets are very likely to make a deal, odds are he is gone.
1. Major Attitude Issues
5 of 5
After injuring his ankle and missing over a month while healing, the general consensus was that Brooks would regain his spot as the starting point guard once he returned to full strength. Now, with Brooks having been back almost a month and a half and still sitting on the bench, it appears that the Rockets view Lowry as the starter, at least for now.
With Brooks playing significantly fewer minutes than he was accustomed to, his body language began to show a man frustrated. He continued to say all the right things to reporters but was visibly angry on the court and wasn't himself.
Things boiled over on Saturday night against Memphis. With Adelman going to his starters, Brooks was substituted off and rather than go to the bench, simply walked off the court to the locker room without informing anyone of his whereabouts. Perhaps a one-game suspension will catch Brooks' attention and get him to shape up, but the Rockets have a history of letting troubled players go.
With the examples Von Wafer and Trevor Ariza still fresh on the front office's mind, the Rockets will likely make little effort to retain Brooks long-term unless he drastically changes his outlook.
