Rockets: Why trading Danuel House isn’t the right move

1. House’s contract is far too valuable

When the Rockets added Danuel House in 2018, they were in a state of desperation, as they had suffered major injuries and had an underwhelming start to the season, after having the best record in the NBA during the 2017-18 season, which had ended just months before. House was initially signed to a two-way deal and became a starter by his 14th game in Houston, starting 13 consecutive games.

During those starts, House averaged 11.2 points on 48.3 percent from three, while the Rockets went 10-3 during those games. House ran out of days on his two-way deal, setting the stage for a contractual stand-off with then Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.

House missed 25 games that season but signed a long-term deal in the offseason, which paid him $11.1 million over three years, as the Rockets used some of their mid-level exception to access the funds to pay him. The deal pays House roughly $3.5 million per season, which is quite the deal for a player of his age, not to mention with his shooting ability.

House is still under contract through next season, which makes it less of a priority to move him, unlike P.J. Tucker and Victor Oladipo, who are both on expiring deals and could bolt in free agency. Another aspect to consider is that because House’s salary is so team-friendly, he doesn’t move the needle much if aggregated into a trade.

The reality is that the Rockets got a bargain deal when they signed House in 2019, so there’s no reason to move that contract right now. Although his off the court antics have been frustrating, the wise move would be for the Rockets to hold on to his contract, and especially for now.