Is Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun "untouchable"?

Untouchable.

That's a big word. It has tremendous implications. When an NBA team determines that one of their players is untouchable, it changes their future outlook irrevocably.

Does every team have an untouchable player? It's a matter of debate. Recently, Bleacher Report named the most untouchable player on every team in the NBA.

According to them, the most untouchable player on the Houston Rockets is Alperen Sengun.

Houston Rockets big man named as "most untouchable" player

Isn't "most untouchable" a bit paradoxical?

Think about it. "Untouchable" is an absolute term. Nobody is "the most dead" person in a graveyard. You're either untouchable, or you aren't.

Sengun is an outstanding player. If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander requested a trade this summer (he won't), the Rockets would include Sengun in a package for him. He is not untouchable.

Is he the least touchable player on the Rockets?

Houston Rockets should value their young star

Of course, he is!

Are we being slightly pedantic? Delving into semantics? Reaching for content during a slow part of the season for a non-playoff team?

You could make any of those cases. With that said, we think there's an important distinction to be made here.

Sengun should rightfully be the least touchable player on the Rockets. He was one of the team's two best players (alongside Fred VanVleet) in 2023-24, and he's only 21.

The Rockets should rightfully decline an offer even if it's above market value. If someone offered them four unprotected firsts for Sengun, they should hang up the phone. At this stage of their rebuilding process, they need a star offensive player.

Sengun should be difficult to touch. The Rockets can't afford to move him for anything short of an MVP candidate. That doesn't mean he's untouchable:

To us, that's just too big of a word.