Grading a foolish trade proposal that has Rockets plundering Celtics

The Houston Rockets have long been removed from the NBA postseason. Somehow, they're prominently involved in discourse around the league anyway. Arguably, no team is more frequently included in blockbuster trade rumors.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates the headlines. That's understandable. He's one of the best players in the NBA and is increasingly likely to be available. That said, he's not the only star player who could be available to Houston.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons has the Rockets' Ime Udoka reuniting with some players he's coached before.

Rockets land pair of Celtics in blockbuster proposal

Specifically, he's got Houston acquiring Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. Let's break down the details of Simmons' proposal.

Any deal the Rockets make should be aimed at making them better. Coming off a 52-win season, the goal will be improvement. Does this deal accomplish that goal?

It should, although it may not result in massive strides. Firstly, it's worth noting that Holiday had a worse Box Plus/Minus (0.7) than Fred VanVleet (0.9) in 2024-25. Holiday is one of the best defensive guards in NBA history, but offensively, he may be worse than VanVleet, who's no slouch on defense in his own right.

Brown is the headliner here. Is he worth these assets? Advanced metrics have never painted him as an All-NBA caliber player. Brown is a prodigious shot creator, but his three-point efficiency has been lacking for years, and his handle is notoriously shaky.

The Rockets are depleting their wing depth to acquire him. If Holiday is a roughly lateral move from VanVleet, it doesn't seem worth that cost.

Speaking of cost, there's a much larger reason why this is a bad deal for the Rockets.

Rockets can't afford Brown's salary

Brown makes roughly $57 million per season. That's the fifth-highest average annual value in the NBA, and his deal runs for five more seasons. Keeping him on the roster with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, (potentially) Jalen Green, and Holiday will prove difficult quickly. The Rockets would have to nuke the depth that's been a strength for them in recent years.

That's fine - if they're doing it for an S-Tier superstar. Brown is not that guy. He's a remarkable talent, but his contract was only a sensible decision for the Celtics because they were retaining a championship core. It looks like a burden in Space City.

This isn't an utterly outrageous proposal, but it's pretty close. It gets a passing grade because it should make the Rockets a better team. It's still not nearly worth the cost. The Rockets should not consider this deal for a moment:

If the rumors are true, they'll have better options.

Grade: C-