The Houston Rockets ranked 26th in the league in drives per game last season, as guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard struggled to create quality dribble penetration.
The return of NBA champion guard Fred VanVleet will help, but Houston’s offense still needs a major shot in the arm to compete in the mighty West.
Enter Kyrie Irving, a historically great player at breaking down defenses and applying pressure at the rim. As the 34-year-old returns from an ACL injury, he will be motivated to play on a team that has the pieces to compete for a title. In all earnestness, the rebuilding Dallas Mavericks don’t give him a shot to pursue his second ring. The Rockets, with their Big 3 of Alperen Şengun, Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson, do.
The following Rockets trade idea has the potential to be a win-win situation, with the Mavericks landing an excellent vet and potentially their shooting guard of the future.
Houston Rockets Trade Reunites KD, Kyrie
Rockets would receive: Kyrie Irving
Mavericks would receive: Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard (via NTMLE)
Why the Rockets Do It
Why not reunite Ime Udoka with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant after their union failed to yield desirable results in the 2020-21 season? At the time, Udoka was an assistant on Steve Nash’s staff and couldn’t do enough to help the Nets overcome their chemistry issues that got further derailed by injuries in the playoffs. Now that he’s the man in Houston, he may be able to bring Durant and Irving on the same page, putting them together with the talented core of Sengun, Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.
The potential trade also allows Durant and Irving to write their redemption song after their partnership ended abruptly in Brooklyn. Both aging stars have become somewhat irrelevant over the past few years — this may their one last shot to pursue a title.
The Rockets could regret the loss of Sheppard, who has the tools to turn into an elite sharpshooter for years. However, making a win-now move while keeping most of their young core intact provides insurance against another Durant-Irving implosion.
Why the Mavericks Do It
Irivng, who has a $42M player option next season, is reportedly seeking a lucrative long-term deal to close out his career in Dallas. For the Mavericks, such a move carries great risk. While Irving is still an All-NBA-level player, his recent injury history and age don’t make him the ideal fit next to their young core.
Meanwhile, VanVleet is on an expiring $25M salary, making him a risk-free acquisition that can be flipped to a title contender at the trade deadline.
Sheppard, 22, projects as an excellent fit next to the Mavericks’ young core of Cooper Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr., Dereck Lively II, John Poulakidas, Moussa Cisse and Zaccharie Risacher. He hasn’t scratched the surface of his potential, and will get enough opportunities to establish himself as the long-term starting shooting guard in Dallas.
Houston Rockets Proposed to Land Kyrie Irving in 2-for-1 Trade