4 star trade targets the Rockets must avoid in 2024-25

Once again, we are discussing the Houston Rockets trading for a star player.

Let's be honest - we're in the home stretch here. The 2024-25 NBA season starts soon. Once the players are active, there will be a lot more basketball to analyze:

We promise.

For now, there's no tangible basketball to discuss. So, we have to get hypothetical. In the Rockets' case, all roads lead back to trading for a star player - even if you're against the idea.

We're neutral. We're open to the idea of acquiring a superstar, but it has to be the right guy.

Here are four players who don't meet that threshold.

4. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

It's been widely reported that LaVine's trade market is minimal. That shouldn't come as a surprise. In today's game. high-volume, low-efficiency shot chuckers aren't exactly at a premium.

Moreover, the Rockets have a similar player they still need to develop. We're all hoping that Jalen Green becomes something more than a Zach LaVine. Somehow, adding LaVine to the Rockets' roster doesn't feel like a smart way to facilitate that growth.

It's not enough if LaVine is available at a discount. Even if the Rockets simply need to send enough salary to match, they should pass on LaVine. He's unlikely to make them a better team, and he overlaps with Green too severely.

We could make an exception to our rule. If the Bulls were willing to attach assets to his deal, we would listen. Somehow, that doesn't feel like the play for a Bulls' front office that's been notoriously apprehensive to rebuild.

3. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

You may argue that we're beating a dead horse. In our view, the horse is not dead. It feels like someone is linking the Rockets to Butler every week.

He doesn't make sense as a target. Butler has aged out of the league's top 15 or so players. At 35, he's unlikely to bounce back. The Rockets shouldn't mortgage a meaningful portion of their future only to watch Butler continue to decline from up close.

Besides, he's not an optimal fit with this roster. Butler has been a shaky three-point shooter throughout his entire career. Unless Rafael Stone intends on re-imagining this roster from the top down, he should be looking at stars with gravity beyond the arch.

Sure, there's some immediate appeal in Butler. He's a hometown hero. He typifies the grit and toughness that Ime Udoka is trying to instill in this team. Those are great qualities, but they don't outweigh the fact that he's an aging star with a poor three-point shot.

2. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

Full disclosure: we like Ingram's game. He's fun to watch. Ingram is a throwback scorer who loves to operate from the midrange, but he can score on all three levels.

That's just not the archetype the Rockets should be looking for. With Sengun in the middle, Ingram's forrays into the midrange area will cramp the team's spacing. If the Rockets ever intend on putting the ball in Amen Thompson's hands, matters will only get more complicated.

Sure, Ingram could be coached to up his three-point volume. He could decrease his midrange diet. Should the Rockets bank on those developments? Is it smart to acquire a player if you need them to overhaul their style on arrival?

Ingram seems likely to be moved at some point. As a sub-superstar on a large contract, his market may be limited. The Rockets shouldn't look to exploit that gap - they should stay away from Ingram like most other teams will.

1. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Is Young even available?

At one time, it seemed inevitable that Atlanta would move him. This summer, they traded Dejounte Murray instead. That may signal a commitment to Young moving forward.

On the other hand, the NBA changes rapidly. Either way, it's a moot point - the Rockets shouldn't be interested. Building an elite defense around Young and Sengun may prove impossible. Meanwhile, if the Rockets traded Sengun for Young, they'd be in a similar position that they're in now - they'd be covering for an offensively gifted negative defender. Only now, they'd be doing it without assets.

Let Young be Atlanta - or someone else's - problem. As prodigious of a playmaker as he is, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. If the Rockets are acquiring their franchise player on the trade market, they should look for someone less complicated to build around. Alternatively, that player may be on the roster already:

We won't need to wait much longer to find out.