Rockets nab talented point guard in Kevin Porter Jr. trade proposal

What a deal could look like

The latest trade proposal comes by way of The Athletic's uber-talented Sam Vecenie, who canvassed the league for a potential Malcolm Brogdon trade. Vecenie cites the Rockets as one of five teams that could present the Blazers with a tempting offer and ultimately states that they'd make the most sense for Brogdon.

Vecenie's exact proposal is below:
Rockets get: Malcolm Brogdon
Trail Blazers get: Kevin Porter Jr., Jae'Sean Tate, four second-round picks

Vecenie explained the reasoning behind his proposal.

"Basketball-wise, Porter’s unique, largely non-guaranteed contract only has $1 million locked in beyond this season. It can act as an expiring deal that the Blazers could acquire and then immediately cut, since an additional $2 million of his 2024-25 salary becomes guaranteed on this season’s opening night.

Tate missed a portion of last season, but he’s a tough, aggressive defensive player who is physical, rebounds well, can pass and makes all of the little extra plays on the court to make life easier for his teammates. He would potentially provide the leadership Cronin wants around his young players, or yet another asset for Portland to move elsewhere, as a number of contending teams would be interested in his services.

Acquiring Brogdon would substantially raise the floor of the Rockets’ performance in a season in which the front office needs to see serious on-court growth. The combination of VanVleet and Brogdon would allow the Rockets to always have a professional decision-maker handling the ball."

Now onto why the deal makes sense for all parties.