5 Players the Houston Rockets should target before the trade deadline

Houston Rockets Trade Target #1: Mason Plumlee, rebounding machine

The Rockets after Christian Wood, as noted earlier, need help at the center position. As great as Wood has been this year his lack of elite rebounding has left the Rockets near the bottom of the league in rebounding metrics.

Mason Plumlee would instantly be the team’s best rebounder and his ability to snag boards on the offensive end could help liven up the Rockets paltry attack. Plumlee has the league’s 14th best offensive rebounding rate and the league’s 20th best defensive rebounding rate, which would give the Rockets a boost in an area of need.

His contract has two more years left on it which should solidify the Rockets’ frontcourt rotation for the foreseeable future and his salary is small enough that the Rockets won’t need to shed salary to fit him in. The Pistons signed Plumlee in the offseason but their eyes are clearly on the future.

If the Rockets offer multiple second-round picks or a first-round pick the Pistons would be happy to recoup their investment. The plan when non-contending teams sign a free agent like Plumlee, usually, is to find a way to move them for future value.

The Rockets could use more rebounding prowess and if there’s one thing that Plumlee has proven over his career, it’s that he can snag some boards. The cost might seem like a bit much for a player who isn’t a bonafide starter but when his contract and the area of need is taken into account it’s a move that could dramatically help the Rockets compete this year and in the future.