Houston Rockets: A big trade before the deadline is unlikely

Daryl Morey isn’t planning on making any blockbuster trades before the deadline, as the Houston Rockets feel like they have enough talent to contend for a title.

The Houston Rockets excited a massive 14-game winning streak and entered a period where they have struggle to win games.

Over the last 10 games, the Rockets have only been able to muster up three wins against the Lakers, Magic and Bulls. Not exactly playoff level competition. On the flip side, the Rockets struggled against the more talented teams, losing games against the Thunder, Celtics, Wizards, Warriors and Pistons.

Chris Paul and Clint Capela were in and out of the lineup a couple of weeks ago, and now the Rockets have played several consecutive games without James Harden, Nene and Luc Mbah a Moute.

The addition of Gerald Green was the best possible pickup available for the Rockets. The 31-year-old is averaging 17.3 points on 51.3 percent shooting, and he has nailed 29 3-pointers in his last six games. With Green’s ability to heat up at a moment’s notice, the Rockets will likely keep him in the rotation even once everyone returns to the lineup.

Also, despite Houston’s recent slide, they’re still second in the West. When considering these factors, Rockets GM Daryl Morey doesn’t expect to make any big moves before the trade deadline, via the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

“I don’t expect to do much. There’s outside-the-rotation stuff potentially. We’re always looking for something to upgrade us. I would guess the odds of us doing nothing are much higher than normal.”

Of course, just because Morey said that he doesn’t expect to make a big trade doesn’t mean that the Rockets won’t explore the trade market and potentially try to make a move. Many executives won’t openly admit that they’re shopping players for a host of good reasons.

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Although, the Rockets don’t have a ton of easily tradable assets. Their rotational players are either hard to move because of their salaries or are vital components to the team. And the players that are outside of the rotation wouldn’t bring in much talent.

Mike D’Antoni isn’t worried about the trade market, because he thinks the Rockets are already built to compete with anyone, via the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

“We have more than enough. There’s no doubt about that. Adding Gerald even makes us realize that more. We should be going into the playoffs in a good position. I don’t know where we will be, because we hit a bump. But we should be in position to challenge anybody. We shouldn’t be tired. We shouldn’t have injuries, other than bad luck. We have enough guys.”

The Rockets are too talented for most teams to handle when they’re at full health. But unfortunately, a few missing pieces seems to sink the ship. The Rockets aren’t as deep as they’d like to be, but their top eight or nine guys are as good as any other team’s in the league.

Next: Houston Rockets: Player grades vs. the Chicago Bulls

Hopefully, the Rockets can shake off this injury bug and march into the postseason with all of their troops. One more solid addition to the rotation would give them the depth that they need.

Daryl Morey isn’t planning on making any blockbuster trades before the deadline, as the Houston Rockets feel like they have enough talent to contend for a title.

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