Rockets Trade Rumors: Who Could Houston Deal Before The Deadline? Morey Looks For Championship Run In 2019

The Houston Rockets have revitalized their season in recent weeks, thanks to a monster run by star guard James Harden. However, GM Daryl Morey is still looking to add wing depth and outright admitted the Rockets will be “buyers” at the Feb. 7 trade deadline in an interview with The Athletic.

It has been known for a few weeks now that the Rockets are dangling Brandon Knight and a first-round pick as part of a trade package for additional perimeter shooting, thanks to a report from The Athletic. The Rockets do have draft picks to offer.

However, Knight only recently came back from a torn ACL and has played limited minutes so far this season, which has reportedly held up any deals so far.

A few names have been commonly linked to the Rockets in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith could provide some scoring punch for a contending team like the Rockets, and his contract next season only guarantees $3.9 million, per The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

The Cavs have been trying to get rid of Smith for some time, as he has been a non-factor this season. He has only played 11 games for the struggling Cleveland squad.

Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore is another option, though he has attracted a “fair bit of interest” from multiple teams, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. The 29-year-old guard has had a career year, averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game. He is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.

His value could be affected by an ankle sprain he suffered at the end of December. He will be re-evaluated later in January. His contract ends after next season, and will carry a cap hit of more than $19 million in the 2019-20 season.

Finally, the Rockets were considered favorites to land Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Los Angeles Lakers by The Athletic in December. The 25-year-old shoots nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc and carries a cap hit of $12 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.