3 Young Rockets named as offseason trade targets in new article

If you talk to Houston Rockets fans, you'll find that they're attached to the team's young core.

That's fandom. It's easy to root for these kids. Anyone with a pulse can see the appeal in watching these young Rockets grow into title contenders. Is that realistic?

Time will tell. Seven players is a large core. Paying all of these guys will be difficult, and finding sufficient playing time for each of them will be even harder. In 2024-25, it feels like Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard have already fallen by the wayside.

They're two of the three players named as potential offseason Rockets trade targets in a recent article.

Rockets well-represented in potential trade market

Bleacher Report listed three trade targets for every team in the NBA. They have Whitmore as a target for the Hawks, and Sheppard as a target for the Hornets and Wizards.

They can see Jalen Green getting shipped out as well.

Bleacher Report has Green as a target for the Pistons and the Magic. That's every Rocket they listed in their piece.

Should they be moving any of them?

Rockets should keep an open mind this summer

Sure! For the right price, anyone should be available.

The appeal in moving Whitmore is obvious. He'll be heading into his third year. His minutes have decreased from 18.7 to 16.9 between his rookie and sophomore years. It doesn't feel like Ime Udoka trusts him, and it may be time to move on.

That's not to say that trading Whitmore is imperative. He could work on his shortcomings this summer and come back looking like a future star. Still, the Rockets could justify moving him.

Trading Sheppard would be a tougher pill to swallow. Sure, he's struggled mightily as a rookie. On a related note: he's a rookie. Sheppard is the only player in this group who hasn't gotten a fair shake. He joined the team right as they vaulted to contender status, and Udoka has no time for a rookie.

Trading him would hurt, but it could be the right decision. Perhaps he'll never find the runway to properly develop in Houston. If a team makes a compelling offer, Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone should listen.

Green is the most complicated situation. Some will advocate for moving off of his contract. To be sure, his deal is already burdensome, and his next one is likely to be in supermax territory.

That said, Green is already a featured option on a Rockets team that's on track for homecourt advantage in a bloody Western Conference. He's proven his mettle to some extent. The Rockets could justify moving him, but the price would have to be right:

Some fans are mightily attached to him by now.