Rockets will regret letting perfect trade target slip to conference rival

The Houston Rockets did not make any major trade deadline deals.

It was a controversial decision. Some felt that the Rockets missed opportunities. They should have brought an impactful player on board. Instead, they let the deadline pass with only two players who won't wear their uniform (Cody Zellar and Jaden Springer) to show for it.

Others felt differently. They suggest that the Rockets didn't need to make any significant moves. That's a fair position. The Rockets are ahead of schedule - they didn't need to shake their roster up.

It does feel like they could have accommodated a high end role player. Someone who'd help them space the floor at any position would have been useful. If that player had a preexisting relationship with the organization, that would be useful as well.

It just so happens that the perfect player was on the trade market. Now, he's showing out for his new team instead.

Former Rockets fan favorite is delivering for new team

Yes, it's Kelly Olynyk.

He wound up moving from the Raptors to the Pelicans at the deadline. Olynyk was part of one of the deadline's most significant deals as Brandon Ingram was sent north of the border.

In his second game in the Big Easy, Olynyk finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds. He was 4/7 from the field and 1/2 from long-range.

Rockets fans know precisely what Olynyk is capable of. When he was briefly in Houston, he put up star-caliber numbers. He benefited from an outsized role on a tanking squad, but the point holds - Olynyk can play.

Why did the Rockets let him go to a conference rival?

Rockets should have inquired about Olynyk

I'm not privy to the conversations that happened around the deadline.

Who knows? The Pelicans may have badly wanted Olynyk. He is an optimal floor spacer alongside Zion Williamson. Sure, the Pelicans have had a disastrous 2024-25 season, but they may have been thinking about fleshing out a roster around Williamson in 2025-26.

Still, it feels more likely that the Pelicans simply wanted value for Ingram. The Rockets should have tried to work their way into a three-team deal. If they'd offered Jock Landale and a handful of second-round picks, the Pelicans may have preferred that to rostering Olynyk.

Hopefully, the Rockets at least made inquiries. Olynyk would be a perfect fit on this roster too. His ability to space the floor from the 5 spot would have benefited Amen Thompson, and his willingness to slide down to the 4 would have made him a compliment to Alperen Sengun.

Simply put, he would have been worth trading for.