Popular Houston Rockets trade target officially off the market

Every fan of a rebuilding NBA team has a vision for the future.

Houston Rockets fans have their favorite players. Some are ready to build the team around Alperen Sengun, while others are hoping to see Jalen Green turn around his tumultuous career.

Both sides are understandable. Green’s potential is tantalizing. Yet Sengun is already a productive NBA player. It’s tempting to pair him with a shooting guard who can already match his productivity.

One of these guards has just withdrawn from the trading market.

Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers have agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension.

This is a masterstroke for the Cavs. Mitchell has long been considered interested in joining a team in a larger market. Now it seems that part of his willingness to sign this extension is due to his confidence in the Cavaliers’ ability to compete for the NBA championship.

Now Mitchell will be subject to trade restrictions. The Rockets can keep him off their target list until at least next summer.

If the Cavaliers fail, should the Rockets re-examine Mitchell?

Of course!

In our opinion, this is ideal for the Rockets. Trading Mitchell now would make no sense. As talented as he is, he would form a small backline alongside Fred VanVleet. Given Sengun’s defensive limitations, the Rockets need to contain dribble penetration at the point of attack.

Green, on the other hand, has developed as a defender in 2023-24. We can’t say for sure that he’ll be the ideal point guard to replace Sengun, but we already know Mitchell isn’t. Why invest your assets in a point guard knowing that his fit with your best player is potentially problematic?

The Rockets have a lot of questions to answer this summer. Can Amen Thompson play with Sengun? Can he be a point guard? Will Green deliver on the potential he’s shown or remain inconsistent? Once the Rockets have some answers, they can make their consolidation trade:

At that point, Mitchell could be back on the market.