Rockets can thank Pascal Siakam for new intriguing trade target

The Houston Rockets have taken a tumble of late, as they've lost three in a row and dropped to the 11 seed in the Western Conference. The Rockets clearly need to make changes, which has been all the more evident in the recent road trip.duckett

The roster has always had holes and they need to be addressed immediately, if the Rockets hope to turn this around. The Rockets have the assets to bolster the roster, as they have a litany of draft capital, not to mention movable contracts that can serve as salary filler, in addition to a $4.5 million trade exception.

The Pascal Siakam trade that sent Siakam to the Indiana Pacers for Jordan Nwaro, Bruce Brown, and three first-round picks could be a major gift for the Rockets. The Raptors are expected to re-route Brown, as they're in full rebuild mode after moving Siakam and OG Anunoby previously and have no need for Brown.

The Rockets, however, could use another veteran who has a championship and has been a part of deep postseason runs. Remember, this was Ime Udoka's focus in the offseason, and Brown has a relationship with Udoka, stemming from their time with the Brooklyn Nets. 

Rockets should take advantage of Siakam deal.

And Brown is an efficient scorer who understands his role. The 27-year-old was averaging a career-best 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 47.5 percent from the floor. His 3-point shooting this season leaves room for improvement (32.7 percent on 3.1 attempts), but he made 35.8 percent of his triples just last season on 3.2 attempts. 

And he made 40.4 percent of his long-range bombs in 2021-22 with the Brooklyn Nets and 42.9 percent during the postseason with the Nets. Brown has a similar skillset as Dillon Brooks, which is especially useful when Brooks is on the bench.

And especially while Tari Eason remains sidelined. Brown could also play alongside Brooks, as a shooting guard, which could help the Rockets offset Jalen Green's struggles.

Brown's $22 million would be easy for the Rockets to create salary ballast, as Victor Oladipo's expiring $9.5 million and Jock Landale's expiring $8 million would be enough from a salary standpoint. The Rockets could throw in the necessary draft capital to appease Toronto's asking price.

This would be a no-brainer.