Rockets’ costly passive approach exposed as LaMelo Ball lands with Western Conference rival

The Houston Rockets have missed an opportunity. In a shocking trade, the Charlotte Hornets have sent All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Hornets are getting sixth-man standout Naz Reid and a draft pick haul that includes a 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks, and three future first-round pick swaps.

LaMelo Ball is gifted offensively and would have helped Houston

Ball has plenty of flaws, but his overall game would have perfectly addressed Houston’s weaknesses. When healthy, the 25-year-old is one of the premier offensive creators in the league.

Over the past five seasons, Ball has averaged 21.8 points and 7.6 assists per game. At 6’7”, he is excellent at using his size and outstanding vision to find opportunities for teammates.

His main on-court weaknesses are shot selection and defense. Those would have been minimized in Houston. The Rockets have plenty of wing stoppers to help cover for Ball on defense, and this team needs an offensive engine. Even if that comes with some low-quality shots, Ball’s ability to take and make tough shots would have been a huge boost to Houston.

Houston could have beat Minnesota’s offer

Alas, the Rockets won’t have the chance to add Ball because Minnesota beat them to the punch. Another frustrating aspect of the trade is the difference in available assets between Minnesota and Houston.

Minnesota only had one first-round pick it could trade outright. Houston has one of the largest collections of tradeable first-round picks in the league. If Houston wanted to beat this offer, it could have. So why didn’t it?

Relying on Fred VanVleet to conduct this offense comes with risks. VanVleet has proven to be a winning player, something LaMelo Ball still has not proven, but VanVleet is also entering his age-32 season and coming off a major injury. Even before his injury, he was coming off his lowest scoring average in six seasons, and it was his worst efficiency since his rookie season in 2017.

Houston has made it clear that it feels comfortable going into next season with this current roster, but opportunities to add a player of LaMelo Ball’s talent do not come along often. The Rockets may regret their passive approach.

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