Houston Rockets: Evaluating 5 theoretical trades for the 2021 season

Realism: How realistic this trade is will partially depend on how the Los Angeles Lakers finish their season. If they win the championship, they may not want to alter their roster in significant ways. However, if they meet their end at the hands of the Denver Nuggets or have a disappointing Finals performance, they could very well be willing to make a change of this caliber.

While not quite as impactful as their highest-end players, JaVale McGee is a guy that can provide some decent production. His size, deceptive athleticism, and the heart he plays with make him a guy who the Lakers are comfortable putting on the floor for both offensive and defensive purposes.

That being said, McGee is far from someone the Lakers can’t do without. While he adds to how large of a team the Lakers are, they certainly have enough height to make up for his absence and more than enough talent as well.

On the Rockets side of things, Danuel House proved himself to be a significant part of their success, more so than McGee has done for the Lakers. While a refusal from the Lakers would likely be chalked up to reasons regarding role, if the Rockets refused this deal, it would be due to a difference in team impact.

That being said, it is not implausible to see the Rockets parting with Danuel House for a less statistically impactful player after his off-court drama in the second round of the playoffs. This is especially true if they decide that they need a reliable center more than another decently productive wing player.

At the moment, it’s difficult to determine which trades are likely, but this one is certainly not outside the realm of reason.

Grade: The Rockets may need to take what they can get when it comes to trades due to their current situation. But looking at this trade in a vacuum, it is far from the worst they can do, but there are better big men the Rockets could look at.

While McGee would give the Rockets some much-needed size, he is also 32 years old while House is 27. It is also not a guarantee that House’s production as it relates to his fit on the team would be matched by McGee, even if McGee is given a larger role than he has with the Lakers.

It is also important to note that McGee is not a 3-point shooter. While the Rockets may determine that they need more size, that does not necessarily mean they will stray away from high volumes of 3-point shooting. Keep in mind that Russell Westbrook could very well experience the same issues on the floor with McGee that he did with Clint Capela.

Still, if the relations between the Rockets and House sour enough and the team decides it needs a more traditional center, this trade would not be the worst.

The grade for this trade is a B-.

Next: Trade No. 2