The pros and cons of the Rockets pursuing LaMelo Ball

The Houston Rockets are linked to every available NBA star. If a player appears to be shaking loose, rest assured that someone wants the Rockets to acquire him.

Why not? The Rockets are flush with draft capital. They have a surplus of intriguing young talent, but none of them have established themselves as "the guy". Why not push in the chips for a superstar?

Yet, any star player typically comes with reservations. Otherwise, they're not going to hit the trade market unless their team is run by Nico Harrison (sorry, Mavericks fans).

The Rockets have been regularly named as a potential trade partner for the Suns. That's understandable, but Kevin Durant is old, and Devin Booker may not be "the guy" so much as "a guy". They'd been linked to De'Aaron Fox, but his impending contract negotiations likely scared them off.

Now, rumors are suggesting that LaMelo Ball could be available soon. Acquiring him would come with its risks.

Let's start on a more positive note.

The pros of the Rockets pursuing Ball

He's very good. If that's enough for you, feel free to proceed to the "cons" section.

This doesn't need to be complicated. Ball is a stud. His Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 3.8 in 2024-25 is impressive when considering that he plays on one of the worst teams in the NBA. Ball has developed a reputation for racking up gaudy counting stats regularly.

He also makes functional sense with any permutation of this roster. Ball is shooting a career-worst 33.6% from long-range this year, but he's attempting an astonishing 10.4 of them per contest. That would be third in the league if Ball met the requirements for minimum games played...

...More on that later.

Ball's decreased efficiency owes partly to that volume, but it's also a consequence of playing on a Hornets team that's bereft of talent. They lost Brandon Miller early in the year, and Ball has been the sole focus of defenses ever since.

It could be different in Houston. If the front office wanted to pair him with Alperen Sengun, Ball would be playing alongside the player with the most gravity of any teammate he's had. Alternatively, the Rockets' front office may want to open up space for Jalen Green and Amen Thompson by replacing Sengun with Ball. Either way, he should fit with this team:

As long as he can get on the floor.

The cons of the Rockets pursuing Ball

Ball has played 38 games this year. It's not enough to put him on statistical leaderboards.

It's more than he played last year (22). It's more than he played the year before (36). This is the central problem with Ball:

He's one of the most injury-prone players in the NBA.

That's concerning. Ball will be a significant investment. He'll cost a couple of the "core seven" and a lot of draft capital, or Sengun and less draft capital. If the Rockets give all that up for a player who doesn't, you know, play, it could prove catastrophic.

Otherwise, there are substantially less important seasons to be weary. Ball is a subpar defender, but as a 6'7" point guard, he could be molded by Ime Udoka. There have been questions about his competitiveness, but to be frank, the Hornets have not facilitated a strong team culture in recent years.

I don't share those concerns, but worries about his health are exceedingly valid. Perhaps they should be enough to deter the Rockets from pursuing Ball.

That said, he is, and this cannot be overstated, really good. Ball has prodigious floor vision and considerable three-point gravity. He has the goods to be "the guy". Ball could be one of the 10 or so best players in the NBA some day.

Moreover, he's still just 23. We have seen players start their careers with a rash of injuries only to find a way to stay on the floor. We've seen players who looked like ironmen who eventually became injury prone. One could make the case that injuries are a random variable that front offices shouldn't even try to account for.

Ultimately, it comes down to Rafael Stone's risk appetite. He needs to ask himself whether he thinks it's more likely that one of Sengun, Thompson or Green reaches Ball's (healthy) level, or Ball gets (and stays) relatively healthy. It's a tough call, but it's one that Stone is paid handsomely to make.

Until then, expect to see the Rockets linked to the next star to hit the rumor sheets.