1 Potential Houston Rockets Trade Target No One Is Talking About

Mikal Bridges. Donovan Mitchell. Alex Caruso. Mikal Bridges.

…Mikal Bridges.

The Houston Rockets have been linked to numerous trade targets in recent months. Some come back frequently (Mikal Bridges, for example).

Tying the Rockets to the Bridges makes perfect sense. The Rockets own the Nets’ pick, they want to improve – you’ve heard that before.

Still, there are other possible targets for the Rockets. Who knows who might go on a rampage?

What about Collin Sexton of the Utah Jazz?

Rumors suggest Sexton could be available.

That makes sense. Jazz is at a crossroads. They could look to prioritize Keyonte George. Sexton is still young, but if the Jazz rebuild, he may be on the wrong schedule for them.

Sexton may be available. That doesn’t automatically mean the Rockets should be interested in him. Why would they – and why wouldn’t they?

Let’s start with the obvious: Sexton is excellent.

Last season, he averaged 18.7 points and 4.9 assists per game. Those numbers don’t even do him justice, as Sexton only played 26.6 minutes per game. Per 75 possessions, Sexton averaged 25.4 points and 6.7 assists per game. He did all this with an effective true shooting percentage (TS%) of 60.7%.

Sexton isn’t a one-way player either. As a small guard, he will have defensive difficulties in certain matchups. Still, Sexton plays with hard effort on both ends of the court. It’s easy to imagine him endearing himself to Ime Udoka.

What could go wrong?

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Trading for Sexton is not a vote of confidence in Jalen Green.

Assuming, of course, Green isn’t involved in the package. Let us operate according to this hypothesis. Trading for Sexton would still potentially lead to the Rockets deprioritizing Green.

That’s a potential problem in Sexton’s decision. This would also require the Rockets to deal with “Trader” Danny Ainge. Jazz’s CEO is notoriously stingy when making deals. Ainge doesn’t like to lose a rally.

Should the Rockets risk losing one?

We will answer the second problem first.

The Rockets should treat Ainge like any other general manager. If he insists on a deal that doesn’t suit them, they should abandon him. The Rockets can’t be afraid to make a deal with anyone: they have to have confidence in their own deal-making abilities.

As for green? Let’s be honest: he didn’t deserve a vote of confidence. The Rockets should not hesitate to trade for a quality 25-year-old to avoid upsetting a player who has not lived up to expectations.

Does landing Sexton mean Green is out of the picture? No, Sexton is a combo guard. He could be a long-term reserve for Houston if Green makes a fourth-year jump. Additionally, they could be the backcourt of the team’s future if Amen Thompson looks like a long-term wing player.

Ultimately, there are more questions than answers when it comes to the Rockets. If the price is right, they shouldn’t hesitate to sign a young player who can help them win now and later.

Even if it’s not Mikal Bridges.