Perfect trade target to aid Rockets' shooting will officially be available soon

As the Houston Rockets attempt to fine-tune their roster throughout the course of the season, the December 15th lifting of trade restrictions on players who signed a deal this past offseason could come to represent a major opportunity for the organization.

Namely, Luke Kennard of the Atlanta Hawks will become available following his signing of a one-year, $11 million deal in July.

Although the Rockets have gotten excellent performances so far out of players like Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday from beyond the arc, Kennard could certainly be in play if the team decides they need to bolster their perimeter shooting even further.

The Rockets may still need to add a role player in order to complement their stars

So far this season, Houston's offense has been excellent, crystallizing itself around its star scorers in Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun and utilizing the athleticism of its more peripheral players (including Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Josh Okogie and Sheppard) in order to make teams pay for focusing too heavily on their main scoring threats.

As it stands, they are second in the NBA in offensive rating, first in offensive rebounding percentage, third in 3-point percentage and fourth in points per game.

Yet, even as they continue to find hot shooters on their roster, they remain dead last in the league in 3-point attempts per game.

Their offensive identity, admittedly, is centered around their dominance in the mid-range and in the paint. Yet, in order to sustain this hot offensive start over the duration of the season, they cannot rely primarily upon Sheppard and a collection of streaky shooters.

Therefore, if they are going to make a trade this season, it should likely be one that optimizes their role players around their stars, and what they decidedly need is a player who can shoot the 3-pointer even in limited minutes.

Luke Kennard could be the answer

While Houston will eventually have Dorian Finney-Smith back, and his 3-and-D skill-set will likely mesh perfectly within their current structure, will his perimeter shot, which has been on and off throughout his career, be enough?

If it's not, Kennard could be the answer. He's averaging 7.6 points, two rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a remarkable 42.6% from beyond the arc on a diet of just 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Hawks this season.

Atlanta, meanwhile, could certainly stand to benefit from some of the role players that the Rockets will have available to trade soon (including Finney-Smith). They are currently 27th in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage, and, although they have played well defensively while Trae Young has been out, they could be looking to add a piece to help bolster their game on the end of the court.

Kennard, although he has played well this season, is expendable salary as the Hawks look to vault themselves into championship contention.

While it remains to be seen whether he will become available, the Rockets must monitor the situation as they attempt to do the same.