Potential trade targets for the Houston Rockets right now

The Houston Rockets are looking to make a trade. Who could make a good addition after the release of Danuel House?

Per a tweet from the beat writer for the Houston Chronicle, Jonathan Feigen, the Houston Rockets released SF Danuel House Jr. mid-day on Tuesday. This move came as a total shock, in part because the roster desperately needs young legs to eat up as many minutes as possible.

House, who is 6 foot 7 inches, has a lot of traits that I love in a player. He has a thicker (but athletic) build, he can shoot the ball, and he is fearless going to the hole. Per an article published in the Houston Chronicle, head coach Mike D’Antoni had the following to say about House, “ I like Danuel a lot,” D’Antoni said. ”He’s very athletic. He’s a bigger three/four that we can use. He runs the floor, not afraid of the moment. He belongs in the NBA.”

This move was made, per numerous Rockets sources via Twitter and in Feigen’s article, for a trade that is incoming for the team. In addition to cutting House, the team moved backup big man Isaiah Hartenstein to the Rio Grande Vipers in the G league. Here are 3 scenarios that I believe could be the reason for the 2 moves:

Potential Scenario No. 1

The Rockets could trade PG Brandon Knight and a 1st Round pick to the Washington Wizards for PF Markieff Morris and SG Tomas Satoransky. In my article last week, I made reference to this trade as what I think the Rockets should be looking to do ASAP.

This deal makes way too much sense for both sides, and if completed, it gives the Rockets a ton of flexibility with their lineup. The Wizards are able to get a 1st rounder to use in the rebuilding of their roster, and Knight would be a solid backup for PG John Wall (if Wall is retained moving forward, and is not traded as well.

Potential Scenario No. 2

The Rockets could acquire SF Kent Bazemore (and an additional asset) for PG Brandon Knight and PF Marquese Chriss. It is no secret that the Rockets like what Kent Bazemore brings to an NBA roster. It was only a few years ago that the team met with the SF at midnight, on the first day of free agency.

Bazemore has great size (6 foot 5 inches) and is the perfect addition for the team when we play a team like the Warriors. Knight is still working his way back from injury, and the Rockets cannot afford to wait out him making his way back to the roster (although I would love to see him be the backup PG to Chris Paul). Chriss has been less than stellar this year, and he has been outperformed by backup C Isaiah Hartenstein (scary thought, right?).

Potential Scenario No. 3

The Rockets could acquire PF Marvin Williams and C Guillermo Hernangomez for PG Brandon Knight and a 1st round pick. At 6 foot 9 inches, Marvin Williams could the perfect guy to plug into this roster. He has the ability to cover multiple positions and could be a great running buddy for Chris Paul and the Beard. At the backup 5 spot, how much longer can we count on Nene? Personally, I like Hernangomez, and in a playoff series, I would trust him more than Hartenstein.

The cutting of House came as a surprise, but it appears that he will be back on the roster at some point this year. What does Daryl Morey have up his sleeve? Time will tell, but color me excited to see what he does to improve this roster. GO ROCKETS!

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