Rockets have to hope that West rival makes boneheaded Ja Morant trade

As the Houston Rockets have now established themselves, yet again, as one of the best teams in the Western Conference, it is coming time for them to start sizing themselves up against the numerous teams they will have to compete with in order to make a deep playoff run.

Yet, one of these teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves, desperately need a point guard, and their potential interest in Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies may prove to be one of the defining storylines of the season.

The Rockets, therefore, must hope that one of their biggest competitors makes a move as disastrous as this one could be.

A Ja Morant trade for the Timberwolves could be disastrous for their chances in the Western Conference

As early in the season as it is, Morant's discontent in Memphis has already become crystal clear, with him having public clashes with the coaching staff and already having been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

Yet, despite whatever character concerns there may be, Morant is still one of the league's most dynamic young guards whenever he's available, and, to many, he could be the solution to the Timberwolves' ongoing point guard woes.

It has been clear for quite some time that Mike Conley can longer be the starting point guard for a championship caliber team, and, in accordance, Minnesota has made the move this season to start Donte DiVincenzo at that spot.

While this decision has yielded moderate results, with DiVincenzo averaging 4.6 assists per 36 minutes this season, it is certainly a misfit for his skillset, and few would argue with the fact that, in order to truly compete, the Timberwolves must make a move at some point this season to bring in a more natural player for that position.

Yet, a trade for Morant, who is making just under $40 million this season, would essentially gut Minnesota's depth. Any trade for Morant would likely need to include not only Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle but also one of DiVincenzo or Naz Reid in order to make the finances work.

While Minnesota needs a guard, this would certainly not be the correct move for them to make given its potential cost.

At the same time, however, the Rockets and the Timberwolves are among a tier of Western Conference teams that, while they are not as dominant as the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, will be in the mix for championship contention when the time comes.

Therefore, Houston must hope that Minnesota, or another Western Conference team, is ultimately willing to pay the steep price that Morant will command financially, granting the Rockets another leg up on their competition this season.