3 reasons why the Rockets should trade for D’Angelo Russell

When the Houston Rockets ushered out their best player in recent history in James Harden, it was clear that they were going to have their work cut out as it pertained to replacing him. For starters, star players win games (as Harden proved year in and year out), but they also can help lure other star-level players simply by recruiting them, which Harden was also successful at doing.

As it stands now, the Rockets have one borderline star player in Christian Wood, although there’s been much too small of a sample size to know either way, as he missed roughly half of the 2020-21 season. The Rockets have another young, promising player in Kevin Porter Jr., but he will surely need to continue to develop, as he’s still very raw and unpolished.

One player who could possibly be interested in joining the Houston Rockets is Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, the 2019 All-Star. Russell made headlines on social media when he liked a jersey swap of him in a Rockets uniform.

It must first be pointed out that Russell simply liking a jersey swap doesn’t necessarily mean that he would welcome a trade to the Space City. And even if he did actually want to join the Rockets, a deal would have to be agreed upon between both the Wolves and the Rockets’ front offices.

But let’s assume that Russell does in fact have interest in joining the Rockets, where he would be re-united with his Ohio State teammate Jae’Sean Tate (which is possibly why he liked the photo, as Tate is in the picture with him), and let’s assume a deal could be constructed. Here are three reasons why the Rockets would be wise to make a trade for Russell.

3. The move could help the Houston Rockets off-load John Wall or Eric Gordon

When the Rockets acquired John Wall prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, the move was made following reports that James Harden preferring playing with Wall than Russell Westbrook, who Wall was replacing. However, Harden was moved to the Brooklyn Nets shortly after, as the addition of Wall did little to change Harden’s desire to leave the Space City.

Although Wall had his moments, the truth remains that a soon-to-be 31-year-old point guard doesn’t exactly fit in with a rebuilding team such as the Rockets. This is especially the case, considering the youth movement of the Rockets, which will only continue, considering how they have three first-round draft picks in this month’s draft.

To make room for D’Angelo Russell’s $30 million, the Rockets could possibly throw in John Wall, although it would take additional draft capital, as the Wolves would certainly require at least one of the Rockets’ later picks in the first round. Sure, there is a familiarity with Wolves GM Gersson Rosas, who previously worked for the Rockets, but Rosas isn’t going to just take on Wall without forcing the Rockets to attach assets and/or sweeteners.

For the Rockets, this would easily be worth it, as they would be freed from Wall’s remaining $91.6 million. For the Wolves, they would be getting draft capital for a player they likely view as replaceable, as Russell isn’t going to help them compete any time soon.

Even if the Wolves don’t have interest in Wall, Eric Gordon could also present an appealing option, as he’s owed $37 million for the next two years, with a non-guaranteed final year in 2023. Rosas has familiarity with Gordon, as he was with the Rockets during Gordon’s 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year campaign and also during Gordon’s 2019 postseason, in which he was one of the Rockets’ most consistent players, averaging 17.8 points and shooting 40 percent from three on 8.6 attempts per game.

2. The trade wouldn’t affect the Houston Rockets’ second overall draft pick

Although the Rockets would surely have to attach draft picks to give up either Eric Gordon or John Wall, they would almost certainly be able to reel in the former All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell without having to give up their second overall pick. Sure, Russell is a star-level player but he’s not to the caliber of a #2 pick, and the Wolves wouldn’t require that just to off-load him.

Furthermore, many draft experts have the Rockets drafting USC big man Evan Mobley, so acquiring Russell wouldn’t interfere with that, as they would still have that same need for a big man. But even if they were to draft Jalen Green with the second pick, they could still bring in Russell as a sixth man off the bench, much like he was used for a bulk of the 2020-21 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Over the last thre seasons, Russell has averaged 21.1 points per game, which is scoring productivity that Rockets coach Stephen Silas could put to use, irrespective of his role on the team. In addition, Russell has averaged 6.4 assists during that same span, which the Rockets would welcome, whether he’s in the starting lineup and feeding Christian Wood (and possibly Mobley) or whether he’s generating looks for others on the second unit.

Regardless of who the Rockets intend to select with the second pick, Russell could have a significant role on the team either way.

1. The Houston Rockets will have a hard time landing a young star player

The main reason why the Rockets should consider making a trade for Russell is simply because they likely won’t have an opportunity at landing a proven star player any other way. The reality is that the Rockets are ways away from being a legitimate Western Conference contender, and especially with the Golden State Warriors presumably getting Klay Thompson back fully healthy and the Los Angeles Lakers returning to a clean bill of health.

In other words, why would a marquee player want to come to the Rockets at this point in time? Maybe when they become contenders again, but how long will that take? And even then, that’s no guarantee.

With this being said, the days of the Houston Rockets landing a All-Star level player via free agency (a la 2013 with Dwight Howard) are likely gone for the near future, meaning the Rockets will likely have to do so via trade, much like they did when James Harden became available in 2012. This is especially the case with Russell being just 25-years-old, as he fits within the Rockets’ timeline and can be a building block for years to come.

Also, the asking price for Russell is likely not steep, and as mentioned previously, such a trade would allow the Rockets’ front office to off-load one of their older, more expensive guards in either John Wall or Eric Gordon. And although Russell isn’t a superstar player, he’s had steady averages of 21 points and 6 assists and even upped his scoring to 23 points in 2019-20.

Not to mention the fact that he’s proven to be able to carry a team, much like he did with the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets, when he was the de-facto star player and carried them into the postseason. And in the NBA, games are won on the heels of star players and typically the teams that don’t have such players tend to roam at the bottom of the standings.

With all of this being said, the Rockets would be wise to kick the tires on a trade for D-Lo.