Rockets: Picking apart an insulting Jarrett Allen trade offer

If you're an NBA fan, you've more than likely tinkered with the NBA's trade machine before. If you're a Rockets fan, you've almost certainly done so, as Rockets fans spent what felt like years trying to find trade destinations for former point guard John Wall, which required creativity because Wall's near $50 million made it difficult to find a trade that wouldn't force the Rockets to take on long-term contracts.

For most fans (myself included), the natural goal is to concoct a trade that's purely beneficial for their favorite team. This is when the trade ideas become far-fetched.

One can surmise that's what transpired with our talented colleague Josh Cornelisson at King James Gospel took his shot at proposing a return for 2022 All-Star Jarrett Allen. You can read his proposal and his reasoning behind it by clicking here (try not to laugh too hard, Rockets fans).

In short, the proposed trade has the Rockets letting go of Kevin Porter Jr., Tari Eason, and a 2027 first-round pick. That's right. For Jarrett Allen.

Picking apart an insulting Jarrett Allen trade offer

I realize the Rockets were interested in bringing in a formidable center (namely Brook Lopez), but this is ridiculous. The Rockets wanted Lopez because he's an elite defender (runner-up Defensive Player of the Year award) and because he can stretch the floor and shoot from long range (37.4 percent from deep in 2022-23).

It goes without saying that Allen doesn't....quite have that ability. The Rockets had the ability to add Allen in the James Harden trade but chose to get Victor Oladipo instead.

So why would they give up two of their best young players for an older version of Allen now? Also, we've already seen which players the Rockets were willing to give up for a big man because they went through with the framework of their deal and sent TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba to the Atlanta Hawks, although many have questioned the decision (myself included).

The Rockets very easily would have moved Porter by now if newly hired coach Ime Udoka didn't see a fit for him on the roster. They surely wouldn't rope Porter in a deal for Allen. The Rockets have even been rumored to be starting Porter next season.

That doesn't seem like a team with intent on moving him, at least at this juncture.

And don't even get me started on the Tari Eason inclusion of the deal. One could argue that Eason is the best asset in the deal (factoring in age, contract, potential, and performance). Rockets fans have already seen Eason's development on display during the Summer League (23 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 48.7 percent from the floor, and 36.4 percent from three).

So why would the Rockets give up Eason AND a first-round pick? And Porter, who is on a very team-friendly deal, as each of the next three seasons of his contract are non-guaranteed. That makes Porter more valuable because a team doesn't inherit long-term salary (if they don't want him). Not to mention acquiring a 23-year-old with recent averages of 19 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds.

And as for the pick? The pick is the Brooklyn Nets' first-rounder in 2027, which pick could prove to be one of the Nets' best picks from the Harden deal, as the Nets could be amid a full-scale rebuild by then.

Most importantly, the Rockets don't want Allen, clearly. It's well known that Allen is available at the right price. The Rockets could have simply traded for him before adding Jock Landale and Jeff Green, if that's what they wanted to do.

But they didn't. And frankly Allen isn't worth all of these assets.