Rockets’ trade inactivity looms large after Kawhi Leonard lands with Raptors

The Houston Rockets have let another All-Star-caliber trade candidate pass them by. Kawhi Leonard is officially a Toronto Raptor, and Rockets fans should be getting anxious about this front office’s indecision.

Leonard was not an ideal trade candidate. On a Rockets team that struggled with injuries to veteran players down the stretch of the season, Leonard would have been a risky swing. However, he also would have fit perfectly into the defensive culture of this organization, while addressing almost every on-court concern about the roster.

Not to mention, pairing Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard with this young core would have made for one of the most entertaining Rockets teams in a decade. Instead, Houston missed another opportunity to trade for a player who would have addressed several obvious concerns.

Houston’s absence from trade talks is becoming difficult to explain 

In the past week, Houston has missed out on big trades for Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant. All of those players come with downsides, but they also would have addressed a dire need for a player who can create their own offense.

Getting outbid for a star player happens. The upsetting part about all of these big-time trades is that Houston does not even appear to be part of the discussion. The Rockets were not seriously linked to any of these names, and it is difficult to understand why.

Even without seeing Fred VanVleet and Kevin Durant play together, Rockets fans understand the flaws of this team: a lack of shooting and offensive creation. VanVleet will help with those concerns, but he cannot be relied upon to completely fix this team’s issues by himself.

Houston’s lack of involvement in these major moves is puzzling, even if the offseason is still young. At some point, this front office needs to take a swing.

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