Houston Rockets: Should the Rockets trade or re-sign David Nwaba?

The Houston Rockets have had a rough year. The franchise has tied their record for consecutive losses and could still break it, they traded away possibly the greatest player in their history, and a litany of injuries have derailed any and every attempt to be competitive.

While Christian Wood’s ankle injury was the catalyst for the Rockets’ plunge into the abyss, another injury has only added to the team’s spiral. When David Nwaba suffered a wrist injury in early March it left the Rockets in another quagmire as they balance rebuilding and competing.

This season, Nwaba, in the final year of his deal, has blossomed into a devastating defensive player. According to FiveThirtyEight’s wins above replacement metric, Nwaba has been a top-20 defensive player this season and has been equal to Jimmy Butler on that side of the ball.

If you strip away centers, as their position allows them to accrue the most defensive value, Nwaba’s defensive contributions would place him in the top-five at every other position. Nwaba’s versatility and ability on the defensive end was one of the reasons the Rockets’ defense was so stout to begin the season.

His emergence as a premium perimeter defender has been a bright spot in a dark season and would have made him a valuable trade chip at the deadline if not for his ill-timed injury. The Rockets need to decide if the best course of action is moving him now, risk losing him for nothing when he hits free agency or re-signing him as a core piece of their rebuild.

Next: Why the Rockets should trade Nwaba

Houston Rockets: Why they should trade David Nwaba

The Rockets have been looking to offload players on expiring deals this season and Nwaba fits that bill. P.J. Tucker and Victor Oladipo have been the two Rockets rumored to be on their way out but Nwaba has actually been better than those two and is on a much more manageable contract.

Oladipo is owed $21 million this season and Tucker $7.9 million, but Nwaba’s salary only comes in at $1.8 million. While $1.8 million is not nothing, it is a salary that even the most salary capped teams could easily manage.

Nwaba isn’t the offensive player that Oladipo is but almost every contending team already has the firepower they need to compete. However, compared to P.J. Tucker, Nwaba is a much more appealing trade candidate.

At their respective stages in their careers, Nwaba is a better defensive player and likely a better offensive player. The only thing preventing Nwaba from being the most hotly contested trade piece in the league has been his spotty 3-point shooting.

Nwaba has never been a knock-down 3-point shooter but even his 27-percent shooting from deep this season comes in well below his career average of 32.3-percent. In a better offensive ecosystem, it’s likely Nwaba would see an uptick in his 3-point shooting and he has always been a proficient finisher at the rim.

Before Nwaba’s wrist injury the Rockets could have easily secured a first-round pick for him and as long as he’s back for the stretch run then that could still be in play. The Rockets should trade Nwaba for the simple reason that he is one of their most valuable trade assets at the moment.

The Rockets aren’t going to compete for anything this season and that’s not likely to change next season. When the Rockets signed Nwaba fresh off an Achilles injury the organization would have been ecstatic if they learned they turned him into a first-round pick.

Nwaba is an excellent player in his prime that could land a good return and the Rockets shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to cash in. However, good players are hard to replace and the Rockets and Nwaba could be eyeing an extension.

Next: Why the Rockets should re-sign Nwaba

Houston Rockets: Why they should re-sign David Nwaba

The Rockets are not a very good team this season, which is not entirely surprising considering the roster moves they’ve endured. It cannot be overstated but the Rockets lost two All-NBA players in James Harden and Russell Westbrook from last season’s team.

The Rockets need talent and David Nwaba has the chops to be an excellent defender and hold his own on the offensive end. It can’t be forgotten but the Rockets took a gamble when they signed Nwaba and the two likely have a good relationship because of it.

Last season, Nwaba ruptured his Achilles tendon when playing for the Brooklyn Nets in late 2019. The Nets waived him shortly thereafter and Nwaba was a player without a team recovering from a major injury.

In June of 2020, the Rockets signed Nwaba to a two-year contract that paid him $903,111 for the 2019-20 season as he recovered from his Achilles injury and $1.8 million in 2020-21. The Rockets believed enough in Nwaba that they were willing to pay him to not play for them.

That goodwill shouldn’t have gone away and Nwaba might be adamant about staying with a franchise that put his well-being before their own. If the Rockets can bring Nwaba back for something in the vein of three-years and $24 million then it’s a move well worth making.

The Rockets have a franchise cornerstone in Christain Wood but he alone cannot bring them back to glory. Nwaba is not the second piece to a championship team but he is the exact type of rotation piece that all champions have.

He can defend, he knows his strengths, and, most crucially, he knows his weaknesses. David Nwaba, at the right price, would be a tremendous asset to build around in Houston. The Rockets might be looking for draft picks, but when you have talent you should fight to keep it in town.