Rockets must resist temptation to make short-sighted deal with Celtics

The Houston Rockets are a constant source of trade rumors.

It's a dead horse, but let's beat it anyway. The Rockets have a lot of stuff. The NBA is a market. When you have a lot of stuff in a market, people will speculate about the possibility that you'll cash that stuff in for one particularly valuable thing.

If you'll forgive the overly technical language, of course.

Counterpoint: What if the Rockets like their stuff? Put differently, this organization may not feel compelled to consolidate. The Rockets should be comfortable making upgrades on the margin. They need to add a shooter, but otherwise, they could draft the best player available and run the same group back. The team shouldn't rush into a trade, even if an appealing target is available.

For example, the Celtics are expected to host a fire sale this summer. That's Ime Udoka's former squad, so he's comfortable with a lot of players on that roster.

None of the ones who will be available are right for the Rockets.

Rockets' Udoka could reunite with former players

However, just about any of the potentially available targets could have some immediate appeal to the club.

Jaylen Brown would inject the Rockets with some much-needed shot creation. Kristaps Porzingis is a floor spacing, weakside rim protecting big man who could be optimal next to Alperen Sengun. Jrue Holiday fits this team's defense-first identity to a tee, and Derrick White is the consummate glue guy.

By now, you're confused. You're re-reading the title of this article. The Celtics are a cornucopia of ideal trade targets for the Rockets, are they not?

They are not.

Rockets must avoid trade with Celtics

Jaylen Brown's contract has an average annual value of roughly $57 million. It has an ascending value and will balloon to $64.9 million by 2028-29. Brown hasn't shot 36% or higher from three-point range in four seasons.

Porzingis' deal expires after this season. That makes him a more attractive option, but what does his next deal look like? Who could the Rockets trade to match his $30 million deal? Are we sure that flipping Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale and some draft capital upgrades the team enough to make it worth losing the draft capital?

Holiday's defensive acumen is attractive. That said, he's 34. Similar to Porzingis, it's hard to envision a deal that benefits the Rockets enough to justify whatever they'd give up.

White is perhaps the best option. He's also the least likely to be available. Boston won't give him up easily, and that points to the broader issue of making a deal with Boston:

None of these guys are S-Tier superstars.

The Rockets won 52 games this year. Moving their assets in a piecemeal fashion to make medium-sized upgrades isn't the right move. They should be hanging onto those assets until a blockbuster target they think elevates them to title contenders is available:

For now, they should hang onto their stuff.