Why Markkanen's new extension is a blessing in disguise for the Rockets

We've had fewer Houston Rockets trade proposals to grade recently.

That's not a complaint. For a while, it felt like every week, someone was trying to trade a member of the young core in a shortsighted move for a star.

(Please, no more Tari Eason trades).

Lately, the rumor mill is slowing down. Some popular targets are off the market. One of the most popular Rockets trade targets just solidified his status as a cornerstone for another team.

Popular Rockets trade target signs extension

Yes, we're talking about Lauri Markkanen. He just signed a lucrative extension to stick with the Jazz through 2028-29.

Does that mean Markkanen will never find himself in Rockets red? No. If the Jazz remain stuck on the mediocrity treadmill, they could still move Markkanen. Still, this deal ensures that Markkanen will remain in Salt Lake City through 2024-25.

More relevantly, he certainly won't be a Rocket heading into 2024-25. That ship has sailed.

Did the Rockets miss the boat?

The Rockets don't need Markkanen - yet

This is a positive development for the Rockets.

Markkanen is an excellent player. He'd be the best player on the Rockets barring a significant leap from Alperen Sengun. Yet, Markkanen is not the best player on a serious title contender.

If you're a master of logic, you've made a deduction from our reasoning - no Rocket is on that level either. That's correct. Luckily, several players on this roster have the potential to reach that level.

Whether they'll get there is another question. If they don't, that's fine. The Rockets have enough assets to trade for a player who can lead a contender:

Unless they trade for someone like Markkanen, that is.

In other words, the timing needed to be better. The Rockets need to either trade for someone better than Markkanen or hang onto their assets. Since there's nobody better than Markkanen who's even remotely available, the Rockets didn't need to make a blockbuster deal this summer.

Suppose the Warriors had made a move for Markkanen. That would have been sensible. Even as he ages, there's reason to believe Steph Curry is still someone who can lead a title run. With Markkanen as his co-star, the Warriors would have been formidable.

The Rockets don't have a Curry, so they don't need a Markkanen. Throughout 2024-25, the Rockets should prioritize getting more data on their current players. Making a move for a player of Markkanen's caliber would commit them to mediocrity moving forward. The Rockets' front office has a mandate to improve, but they shouldn't improve at the expense of their potentially bright future:

Which is exactly why we'd rather grade fewer trades for the time being.