Rockets Daryl Morey explains the art behind superstar trades

How Morey pulls it off

Because of Morey’s brilliance, the Rockets are always a threat to land any player they’re targeting. There have even been under-the-radar trades, such as the acquisition of Lou Williams in 2017, which bolstered the Rockets’ bench.

Williams became an intricate piece in the Chris Paul trade, which culminated in the acquisition of Russell Westbrook. On Tuesday, Morey joined the Sean Salisbury Show on SportsTalk 790, to explain the method to the madness and how he’s become so successful at pulling off splash trades to acquire marquee players.

“A big part of trades is actually being flexible. Because teams often make mistakes by getting locked in to certain deals and certain players.

And that’s where mistakes happen. Generally you want to have an entire mesh of possible trades and then you try to go for the one that is the most optimal. But if you try to lock in on one, that’s when you can get in trouble.”

The latter part is important to note, as we always hear about Morey and the Rockets pursuing someone essentially every year at the trade deadline.

Next: Proven formula