NBA Trade Rumors: Predicting 9 Stars Houston Rockets would trade their young core for
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Over the last few seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder have risen as a threat in the Western Conference. Over the last two, they've been the bar-setters during the regular season. One of the bigger reasons why is the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a superstar. While he's still waiting for his moment of "arrival" in the postseason, those who follow the game know just how special SGA has been over the last two-plus years. He's one of the best scoring guards and leaders at the position.
Even at their peak, I'm not sure if there's anyone on the Houston Rockets roster that could come close to making the impact that SGA has over the last couple of seasons in OKC. He's helped revitalize the organization and has legitimized them to the point where they're considered a true championship contender. Sure, they still have to prove it with playoff success but there's no question the Thunder are well on their way toward accomplishing that in the not-so-distant future.
Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be a fit on the Houston Rockets
Like many players on this list, the impact that SGA has made on the Thunder is exactly what the Houston Rockets would be looking for in a theoretical trade target. SGA is a prolific offensive talent who could go a long way in changing the way the team operates on that end of the floor. Not only is he a great and efficient scorer but he's also an underrated playmaker. He may not be one of the best lead guards in the league but he can hold up his own in that aspect of an offensive flow.
If the Rockets are able to put the right playmaking guard next to SGA, they could create one of the best backcourts in the league; that's how good SGA is when it comes to scoring the basketball. Even though he's only 26 years old, SGA also has much more experience than most of the Rockets' young core at this point in their careers between his time in the Olympics and with the Thunder over the past few seasons. SGA would be a prototypical target if he were to become available for Houston.