Rockets: 3 reasons why the Oladipo trade isn’t as bad as it seems

2. The Houston Rockets can continue to develop Kevin Porter Jr. this season

Kevin Porter Jr is without a doubt one of the more talented young players the Houston Rockets have on their roster. Ever since being recalled from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers earlier this month, Porter Jr. has impressed in his first couple of games with the team.

In his first 5 games with the team prior to hurting himself, Porter Jr was averaging 19.6 points, 8 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. For a sophomore, this is quite impressive.

Given how high the front office was on KPJ when acquiring him from the Cavaliers, the talented young guard is continuing his path towards being a critical component for a rebuild for the Houston Rockets.

Had Oladipo remained on the roster, this would have left KPJ on the bench with the second unit. This could be detrimental to his development with the team.

Now with Oladipo gone, KPJ can play alongside Wall and Wood. Although Wall is the team’s point guard and often has the ball in his hands a lot, KPJ can take this opportunity to learn how to play off the ball.

It would make him a more all-around dynamic talent. In their return package for Oladipo, the Houston Rockets received in addition to the pick swap two players, Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk. While Bradley plays the shooting guard position as well, he will not serve as a threat to KPJ’s development, given that he is a veteran and will most likely not be on this Houston Rockets roster next year.

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