Daryl Morey says Rockets won’t ‘hesitate’ to make trades

According to Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets might not be done upgrading their roster. Management will continue fine-tuning the team throughout the season.

While many teams around the NBA try to revamp their roster in one epic splash, the Rockets assume a more methodical approach.

Last year, Houston added Gerald Green to the roster on Dec. 28 after he spent the first quarter of the season unemployed. The Rockets signed Joe Johnson on Feb. 14 with the season already more than half way over. Even Carmelo Anthony was just signed a month ago in August, which is usually a dead month after the free agency frenzy in July.

No one has any idea what Houston’s roster will look like after the trade deadline and buyout market comes to a close. But if history provides us with any clues, then we know one thing: Houston’s roster won’t be the same as it is today.

When speaking with the media, Daryl Morey said that he would not ‘hesitate’ to make additional trades that would benefit the team, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

Daryl Morey says there could be some fine tuning to the roster ahead of the season, adds that they have their draft picks going forward for flexibility. They’ll always look to improve the roster if the opportunity presents itself. pic.twitter.com/iVTkHtJ9Li

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) September 11, 2018

“When you’re trying to win a title, there is always fine tuning. You can always get better. We have all our draft picks going forward, so if something presents itself that allows us to make a trade to improve the team, we’re not going to hesitate to do that.”

The Rockets are currently short at the wing position, but Kent Bazemore of the Hawks is rumored to be on the trading bloc. The Rockets could even look into doing a swap for Charlotte’s Nicolas Batum or even Cleveland’s (gulp) J.R. Smith.

Source: Kent Bazemore’s list of suitors also includes Milwaukee, who recently contacted the Hawks but initial trade talks didn’t get very far. Kent loves Atlanta, but would be open to a move to HOU/MIL since he knows both coaches well and would be joining a contender.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) August 7, 2018

At this point in the offseason, most of the solid two-way wings are off of the market. In order for the Rockets to land a starting caliber small forward, they would almost certainly have to acquire him in a trade.

Fortunately, the Rockets have a lot more options in trade negotiations now that Ryan Anderson and his contract are off of the books. Now its time to just sit back and let the Executive of the Year work his magic.