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In a season of a drastic roster turnover, Danuel House could be the latest Houston Rocket on the trade block.
Brian Windhorst revealed that teams have contacted the Rockets about a trade for House. Under control through the end of next season, Houston is in no rush to trade House. The core of John Wall, Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood is playing good basketball of late (though Wood is now sidelined), and House is an important rotation piece.
The Rockets could trade P.J. Tucker. Oladipo might be on the market.
Both are on expiring deals, while House is on a bargain contract until the 2022 offseason. As Houston retools, House is a player who while not foundational, he can help them be competitive, and he’s an ideal complementary wing. The consequence, though, is that his trade market would be substantial. The Rockets might be tempted by a potential return.
Could a contender give up a high-upside young player? Would they be able to get a lightly protected first-round pick? The answer to those questions, at this point, is probably no. The Rockets trading House makes little sense unless they go for a full tear down. If their record goes south, and Oladipo makes it clear he won’t stay long-term, finding a trade for House becomes a more reasonable prospect.
On just $3.7 million this season, pairing House with Oladipo or Tucker in a trade is the most likely outcome. All three are going to attract plenty of trade interest between now and the trade deadline. Contenders will be ringing Rafael Stone non-stop.
Landing spots for House
The archetypal three-and-D wing, House slots into any roster. Every team can do with more defense and shooting, though Houston will hope House can get his three-point percentage closer to 40% before they swing a trade.
It has become almost NBA cliché to scream about the Sixers’ need for shooting. Philly has addressed that issue this season, but they can always do with another gunner off the bench and have been linked with J.J. Redick. The Sixers’ shooting issues are in their bench unit – line-ups featuring Dwight Howard, Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle/Tyrese Maxey have struggled offensively.
Looking like genuine title challengers, would Daryl Morey dare to give up the 2021 first for House? If not, it might be a case of a couple of seconds. Regardless of a potential deal, there’s no doubt House is a great fit there. Morey might try to build a deal for House and Tucker.
While the Nuggets have shooting aplenty, they would benefit from House’s defensive effort. Denver needs some depth behind Will Barton and Gary Harris – both have had their injury troubles.
Depth is a problem for the Milwaukee Bucks, too. Bryn Forbes and DJ Augustin cannot play clutch minutes in the playoffs. House would be a good pick up for the Bucks, allowing them to run line-ups with Giannis Antetokounmpo at center, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Donte DiVincenzo. Milwaukee’s lack of assets could make it tricky to construct a trade, though.
A case can be made for most teams. House would help the Nets. The Celtics would benefit from another experienced player off the bench. The Pelicans, Warriors and Blazers could all talk themselves into it.
House’s future will, directly or indirectly, be tied to what the Rockets choose to do with Tucker and Oladipo. They are under no pressure to trade him, but if they do, they will have a queue of teams making offers.
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