3 Reasons Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet signing opens door for Kevin Porter Jr. trade

3. The natural stunt in progression

One of the biggest potential downfalls of the acquisition of Fred VanVleet, in the case of KPJ, is the fact that there's likely going to be a natural stunt in progression. It's not just the fact that he's going from starter to a bench player nor the fact that he's going to likely be playing fewer minutes, it's also the fact that he's not going to get the same opporunties even when he is on the floor with so many other talented ball handers around him.

For as much as KPJ has grown as a player while getting big minutes in Houston, he's still far from a finished product. And with the Rockets making the pivot toward a win-now team, it's only natural for there to be some trade-off when it comes to the progression of certain players.

With the integration of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore and the continued focus on the team's prized-possession from last year's NBA Draft in Jabari Smith Jr., it's easy to see how a player like Porter could get lost in the shuffle.

The Rockets may not be done making moves this offseason. And if they aren't, it wouldn't be all that surprising if they ended up trading Kevin Porter Jr.