Ranking 5 soon-to-be-eligible trade targets for the Rockets

The 2024-25 NBA season has been a milestone for the Houston Rockets.

Technically, last year was a similar milestone. It was the first season during which the Rockets were competitive since trading James Harden. This year feels different. This is the first year since Harden's departure that the Rockets feel playoff-bound.

Speaking of milestones, every NBA season is comprised of several keystone dates. One is quickly approaching. On December 15, a horde of players who weren't previously eligible to be traded became available.

Here are five realistic targets for the Rockets.

5. Seth Curry, Charlotte Hornets

If you've been reading SpaceCityScoop, you know what to expect here. If any player shows up on this list who isn't a knockdown floor spacer, he will be a capable backup big man.

The Rockets remain a team with a desperate need for shooters. They're shooting 33% from long-range this year, good for 26th in the NBA. So yes, they should target shooters.

Curry is one of the best movement shooters in the game. He's hitting 44.4% of his triples in 2024-25. What's not to love?

Well, Curry is such a poor defender that he's only managing to find 12.4 minutes per game on a much weaker Hornets roster. It feels unlikely that Ime Udoka would put him on the floor, no matter how badly Houston needs his shooting.

4. Svi Mykhailiuk, Utah Jazz

The same caveats that apply to Curry apply to Mykhailiuk. He's a poor defender, and Udoka may not stand for it.

Moreover, Mykhailiuk is shooting just 31.8% from deep this year. What are we thinking? Why would the Rockets acquire a non-defender during a dreadful shooting slump?

Well, Mykhailiuk ought to be available at an extremely low cost. Sometimes, shooters need a change of scenery. Mykhailiuk is a career 36.3% three-point shooter who has eclipsed 40% from distance four times in his NBA career. If the Rockets want to take a flyer on a potential floor spacer at a minimal cost, they should call the Jazz.

3. Mo Bamba, Los Angeles Clippers

The big man!

Some Rockets fans will aim higher than Bamba (albeit, not literally) when searching for a big man. They will be misguided. With the team clearly committed to Alperen Sengun, committing too many resources to a backup big would be a mistake. They simply need someone more available than Steven Adams, and more capable than Jock Landale.

Bamba qualifies. He offers at least some semblance of floor spacing, and he's a quality rim protector. Bamba can't defend in space, and his three-point shooting is spotty. That's fine - we're looking for a backup for a young star here. Bamba's skillset is distinct from Sengun's, and that makes him a good foil for the team's entrenched starter.

2. Taurean Prince, Milwaukee Bucks

Prince could be the perfect target for this team.

He's a capable defender. Udoka will have no qualms about putting him on the floor. How's his shooting?

How about 54.2% from long-range this year? Prince is a sharpshooter. Currently, he looks like one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA.

That's partly what makes him a long-shot target for the Rockets. The Bucks feel like potential buyers as the deadline approaches. They'll be looking to upgrade their roster. That said, the Rockets could potentially facilitate a larger three-team deal in which they acquire Prince, and a starrier name heads to the Bucks.

1. Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies

There's another concern about Prince.

Yes, he's been wildly accurate from deep this year. That isn't a career-long trend - Prince is likely to regress to the mean. By contrast, the 40.4% that Luke Kennard is hitting from deep this year is in line with his typical production.

Beyond the raw percentages, Prince is primarily a standstill shooter. Kennard is a master of movement. He can shoot a much wider variety of threes with a high degree of accuracy.

Kennard isn't an especially strong defender, but he's got a bit of size on Curry. If Udoka can coach him up, he could be fine on that end of the floor for the Rockets while filling their biggest need.

That could help them hit more milestones as the year progresses.