Rockets beat writer says the quiet part out loud about Reed Sheppard's trade impact

As the Houston Rockets have climbed out to a 12-4 record to start the season, second-year guard Reed Sheppard has been a particular bright spot for the team. It seems as though he's taken a massive leap since his inconsistent rookie season, both in terms of confidence and in performance, and, as a result, he might be on his way toward easing the Rockets' championship anxiety.

According to William Guillory of The Athletic, Sheppard's breakout primarily indicates two things. Firstly, that the team now has a complete core of young guys, and any trade (or allocation of their draft assets) they pursue should now seek out complementary players rather than additional stars. Moreover, it means that Houston could be significantly more willing to move on from their future draft capital, making a trade for a difference-making role player all the more possible this season.

"With Sheppard, Thompson, Smith and Şengün looking like foundation pieces in Houston, the focus should probably shift to seeking out bigger wings or 3-point specialists... perhaps Houston will be more open to the idea of moving some of its future picks, knowing it doesn’t make sense to keep adding so much first-round talent when you already feel pretty good about the 8-9 guys in the rotation."

William Guillory

Reed Sheppard is the difference-making piece in the Rockets' future plans

Following a career-high 31-point performance against the Golden State Warriors, now is the perfect time to talk about how excellent Sheppard has been for the Rockets this season. After a shaky start, Sheppard is now averaging 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc.

He looks ready and willing to take shots from almost anywhere on the court, and his ability to get downhill and to the mid-range is remarkable for a guard his size.

Therefore, while the concerns that many had when starting point guard Fred VanVleet went out for the season still, in some ways, remain poignant, Sheppard has done enough to ensure Houston that he can be an impact player as the season wears on.

The team now has a future core of Sheppard, Thompson, Sengun and Smith Jr. to surround their superstar scorer in Kevin Durant. They also have a mix of promising role players in Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Tari Eason and, at some point, Dorian Finney-Smith to help them compete this season.

Thus, the only trades they should be looking for are ones that optimize that second set of players around the abilities of their stars. A knockdown 3-point shooter would be helpful, or another lengthy wing who can help out on the defensive end.

If the organization determines they need to make a move, Sheppard has also inspired enough confidence in their future, and their ability to prolong their championship window beyond the end of Durant's contract, that they would likely be willing to move draft capital to do so. Beyond this year, they own their first-round picks through 2032 (with various swap rights mixed in).

Therefore, Sheppard's breakout has left the Rockets in an infinitely better position than it looked like they might be in at the start of the season.