Getty Kent Bazemore and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The Houston Rockets are looking for depth and attempting to find it sooner than later. That’s not something they’ve kept private and it stems from a mixture of injuries and a failed free-agent addition in Carmelo Anthony. Regardless, James Harden and company need to add some additional firepower as they move forward this season.
Most recently, the Rockets had been linked to a few names. But thus far we haven’t seen anything come to fruition for the team, and they’re left attempting to navigate the NBA trade scene. With Chris Paul now dealing with a hamstring injury and expected to miss a few weeks, it only adds to the need for depth.
So, let’s dive in and take a look at the latest trade rumors surrounding the Rockets which begin with the Kent Bazemore talks that came to light Thursday afternoon.
Kent Bazemore Trade Talks Just One Name to Watch
As the Atlanta Hawks embrace the tank, they could look to move on from some of their veteran players. One of those options is Bazemore, who’s having a career-year from a scoring perspective, averaging 14.0 points per game. As The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed, the Rockets are among teams who have discussed a deal for Bazemore with the Hawks.
“The Houston Rockets are among the teams that have had discussions this season about Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore, sources said. Bazemore is expected to receive interest from several contenders.” Charania writes.
Bazemore would make a lot of sense from a fit both on the offensive and defensive end. Along with a career-high in points, the 29-year-old has averaged 1.7 steals per game, the most to this point in his career. While the Rockets and Bazemore could make for a great pairing, there’s obviously a decent amount of interest around the league in him.
Will Rockets Re-Open Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Talks?
This one gets filed under “deals that didn’t happen” currently. The Rockets were reportedly interested in being a part of a potential Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns deal as the third team. As the Lakers were making a push to acquire Trevor Ariza, prior to the deal which sent him to the Washington Wizards, Houston had interest in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in that scenario.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania first reported the connection.
The Houston Rockets are emerging as a suitor for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in multi-team trade scenarios, such as with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns, league sources told The Athletic.
In desperate search for an upgrade at the wing, the Rockets are targeting Caldwell-Pope, league sources said. The Lakers have pursued Suns forward Trevor Ariza, along with several other contenders, according to league sources.
This news came in mid-December, and it’s unlikely the Lakers would deal Caldwell-Pope until they manage to get healthy following injuries to LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. Regardless, the young guard has drawn plenty of trade interest and is on just a one-year, $12 million deal, so he’d come off the books this offseason.
Houston Interested in J.R. Smith – but There’s a Catch
You’re likely sensing a trend here with the Rockets’ targets. They need scoring and someone who can help Harden and Paul (when healthy) on the wing. This is where the Cleveland Cavaliers and their potential house-cleaning come into play.
As Marc Stein of the New York Times detailed in a recent newsletter, Smith is a name who Houston has interest in. Unfortunately, he seems to be their 1B at this point behind Caldwell-Pope.
As reported earlier this month, Houston has expressed exploratory interest in Cleveland’s J.R. Smith, who has been sent home by the Cavaliers as they try to find a new home for him via trade. But the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is said to be the Rockets’ top target in their search for help on the wing, with Smith somewhere further down the list.
It’s worth noting that Caldwell-Pope can veto any trade, but Stein revealed that “all indications” are that he would agree to a trade sending him to the Rockets. As for Smith, well, the outlook of landing with Houston seems bleak, especially if the team really puts their head down and pushes for the Lakers guard instead.
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