4 non-star players the Houston Rockets could trade for this season

Everyone wants the Houston Rockets to trade for a star.

One minute, they're on the verge of acquiring Kevin Durant. No, no - they acquired those Suns picks because they want Devin Booker. Still, Lauri Markkanen seems to always be on the horizon - until the Rockets are trading for Zion Williamson.

Who knows? The Rockets could land any one of those superstars soon. We wouldn't rule out any possibilities. In that spirit, we wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Rockets trading for a smaller name either.

Suppose this team is exceeding expectations at the deadline. Does that require the Rockets to give up on one of their young, core players in a consolation trade for a star? Or, would it justify bolstering that core with a complimentary role-player?

You could justify either case. If the Rockets decide to make a smaller win-now move, here are 4 non-star players we think they could take a look at.

John Konchar

If the Rockets are looking at role players, they may want to talk to teams facing a roster crunch. They should look at role players who may not have space in their current team's rotation.

Konchar could fit the bill. The Grizzlies were pleased with the emergence of Vince Williams Jr. in 2023-24. They surely see star potential in GG Jackson II as well. Is their wing rotation too crowded for Konchar?

If so, the Rockets could make space for him. Konchar is a career 36.0% three-point shooter. That's not an especially strong mark, but it's a major upgrade over Jae'Sean Tate in terms of floor spacing. It's also worth noting that Konchar shot 41.3% from deep on 1.8 attempts per game in 2021-22.

He should be a realistic target as well. Tate and some second-round draft capital should be enough for Konchar, and he makes a modest $6 million or so per season. Konchar won't revolutionize the Rockets, but he could be a solid acquisition for them.