Rockets fans, please move past the Caris LeVert non-trade

1. LeVert doesn’t improve the current state of the Houston Rockets

The primary reason why the Rockets were wise to pass on LeVert is because he simply wouldn’t move the needle on this team. At 14-41, how much better would this team be if they had LeVert?

While LeVert is a nice player, he’s not a very efficient scorer as a whole. In fact, Kevin Porter Jr. has nearly been just as efficient, as he holds true shooting averages of 51.4 percent, compared to LeVert’s 52.7 percent. And this is with Porter struggling to shoot from long-range this season and with him learning a new position (26.9 percent).

Including Friday’s matchup between the Pacers and Jazz, LeVert has had 8 games in which he made 41 percent or less on his shot attempts, which shows part of the issue with the 6-foot-6 guard, as he’s very inconsistent. On the flip side, he’s had just 4 games in which he’s made at least half of his games.

The inconsistency and inefficiency wouldn’t help a Rockets team that’s been focused on ball movement, and he doesn’t have the ability to be a consistent closer, which is exactly what the Rockets have been missing ever since they traded James Harden.

LeVert is essentially a finished product, which doesn’t help a Rockets team that is ways away from being a contender.  If the Rockets were in a position where they were one player away from being a championship team, trading for LeVert would at least make more sense.

But with just two years remaining after this season, LeVert would likely be in his prime on a rebuilding Rockets team, which does no good for him or the franchise. LeVert’s prime doesn’t align with the Rockets’ timeline for rebuilding and his best efforts simply aren’t enough to carry the Houston Rockets.

For this reason, among others, the Rockets’ best move was to pass on LeVert.