Rockets' trade situation remains just as perilous with recent league decision

When the Houston Rockets lost starting point guard Fred VanVleet late in the offseason to a devastating ACL injury, a dire financial scenario quickly started to reveal itself, with the team being hard-capped at the first apron and many of their movable contracts being frozen until December 15th.

Now, however, even with that date having passed and the league having decided to issue the team a $12.5 million Disable Players Exemption as a result of the VanVleet injury, the Rockets are still stuck in a tough spot were they decide to make a trade, making it increasingly likely that they ultimately stay the course with the roster as it is currently constructed.

While players who signed deals this past offseason, such as Dorian Finney-Smith, Steven Adams and Clint Capela, are now able to be traded, what pieces would Houston be willing to part with in order to bring in a point guard who can elevate the team. With just over $1 million of wiggle room between them and the first apron, their options remain exceedingly limited.

In spite of the Disabled Players Exemption, the Rockets are still likely to hold fast

In many ways, the loss of VanVleet has not turned out nearly as disastrous as many thought it would when the news of his injury was first announced. Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard have both emerged as capable point guards, and the elevated play of Josh Okogie and Aaron Holiday has enable the team to fill out their backcourt in spite of the frontcourt-heavy construction of their roster.

Yet, even with Alperen Sengun operating excellently as the team's primary playmaker, Houston still has the second-worst turnover rate in the NBA, sitting only slightly above the exceedingly young and fast-paced Portland Trail Blazers.

Without a doubt, this team would benefit from having a more traditional point guard, but only if the process of acquiring such a player existed in a vacuum.

In order to bring in even a low-level, starting-caliber guard, the Rockets would almost certainly have to part with VanVleet's $25 million AAV contract in order to do so. While his no-trade clause certainly stands in the way of such a decision, it also remains highly unlikely that they would ask such a beloved veteran to make that sacrifice unless it became absolutely necessary.

Moreover, the other pieces they could move to make such a trade have all proven, or will prove, to be vital to the style that the team wants to play.

It's safe to say that moving Adams is off the table given the impact he has had so far this season. Additionally, at this point, sacrificing either Eason or Finney-Smith would seriously compromise their front-court depth and their perimeter shooting.

While moving on from Capela would make sense given the offensive struggles he's had this season, his contract alone would not be enough to move the needle on the type of deal that Houston would likely desire to make.

Therefore, while it remains to be seen how the rotation will be shuffled over the course of the season, a drastic move still remains unlikely, no matter what reprieve the team is granted from the league.