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Houston Rockets looking to blow it up, kind of?

By Dylan Hughes

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It’s trade season, and the Houston Rockets may be looking to get involved…heavily. Are the Rockets ready to blow it all up?

Welcome to the NBA’s Trading Season, all! It’s December 15, meaning the majority of this past summer’s free agent signees are now eligible to be traded. Trade rumors are all over the place, meaning Twitter is the place to be right now. Getting in on – headlining, really – these trade rumors are the Houston Rockets.

Even before today, Houston had already shown their interest in making some moves. The Rockets were checking the market on Ty Lawson–whom they acquired over the summer for some chump change and a first rounder. In this article from Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler says “there is a belief among other teams that Lawson could be had in trade, and had cheaply.”

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Kyler also said it is believed that Lawson could be the first player Houston moves. Unless he is involved in a deal paired with a better player (read more on who later), Lawson’s market might not heat up until closer to the trade deadline when teams get more desperate. With the cap boom coming, Lawson’s $13.21 million salary for next season – which is non-guaranteed – isn’t too much to pay a guy that has the potential to come in and make an offense a lot better. Especially for a team like Milwaukee, who don’t seem to have a long-term plan at point guard.

A much more coveted trade target is power forward Terrence Jones, whom the Phoenix Suns have reportedly shown interest in. The report trade offer is Suns’ PF Markieff Morris for Jones and veteran wing Corey Brewer. Brewer is not actually able to be traded until January 15, however.

Swapping Jones for Morris makes sense, with Morris needing a change of scenery and Jones being a free agent next summer. Jones will surely sign a fairly large deal somewhere next summer, and Morris’ contract has him making just $8 million annually for the next three seasons (not including this one).

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Trading Jones for Morris would also raise some questions with fellow power forward and soon-to-be free agent Donatas Motiejunas. Motiejunas is a versatile offensive player able to stretch the floor as well as play in the post. He can also protect the rim, making him able to seemingly fit in anywhere he plays. Trading Jones could mean Houston is choosing to re-sign Motiejunas, but if the trade involves another stretch-four like Morris, maybe Donatas will be next up in the dealing or set free in the open market next summer.

Now, the big one.

Chris Sheridan is reporting Dwight Howard is not happy in Houston as the second-fiddle to James Harden. Sheridan cites Miami as a possible landing spot, going so far to predict Howard will actually be a member of the Heat by the February deadline.

Sheridan’s biggest support for that statement is Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who completely burst onto the scene last season, being a free agent next summer. With what Whiteside has shown and his potential to get even better, he is sure to be in line for a max contract next offseason. Miami, a tax team, would have trouble retaining him and Dwyane Wade – someone they surely won’t let walk. Miami will need a replacement for Whiteside, and flipping his expiring contract for Howard would be about as good a deal as there is.

Next: How The Heat, Celtics and Bulls Can Each Acquire DeMarcus Cousins

So there’s the Rockets for ya. They’ve had an uninspiring start to the season, but it’s still early and the same team that went to last season’s Western Conference Finals. They don’t need to make many deals to at least get back to where they were last season, but they might go overboard just for the hell of it anyway.

That’s why we all love/hate the Houston Rockets, isn’t it?

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