The perfect Rockets trade target is sitting right under their noses

The Houston Rockets have been linked to a lot of guards this season. None would be a better fit than the Kings' Malik Monk.

I was inspired to write this by some recent Darius Garland speculation. A lot of potential Rockets targets feel absurd. Garland made me stop and think.

Wait: Could this make sense?

Ultimately, I decided against Garland. For starters, he's shooting 28.2% from deep this year. That's an outlier for his career, but it's concerning.

Moreover, Garland strongly prefers to play with the ball. He's also short at 6'1", and a questionable defender. That makes him a poor fit alongside Reed Sheppard:

And this is where we land on Monk.

Rockets should call Kings about Malik Monk

I've written on Monk before, but as the season has worn on, it's become clear that he's a perfect target for Houston.

In 2025-26, Monk is averaging 19.2 points per 75 possessions while shooting 41.1% from long-range. Monk has been an inconsistent three-point shooter throughout his career, but he has gravity. He'd give the Rockets another player who defenses scramble to defend from beyond the arc. Monk is a credible off-ball threat.

Yet, the Rockets shouldn't be strictly looking for a shooter. Ideally, they'd acquire a knockdown shooter who can moonlight as a ball-handler at times. This year, Monk is averaging just 3.7 assists per 75 possessions after averaging 6.5 and 7.2 per 75 in the prior two seasons. What changed?

Likely, the presence of Russell Westbrook is a factor. Monk's Usage % has dipped from 25.9% in 2023-24 to 22.7%. The Rockets wouldn't necessarily increase Monk's usage, but the fact that he's able to make plays when called upon would be critical for them.

Moreover, Monk is a bit taller at 6'3". That's only a couple of inches compared to Garland, and Monk isn't known as a defensive stopper. Still, those couple of inches could be a factor in Ime Udoka's defensive schemes.

Finally (and arguably most significantly), Monk makes a reasonable $19 million a year. The Rockets could theoretically acquire him at the cost of Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and a first-round pick. He's a rare target that makes sense and won't require Fred VanVleet in a package. They'd want to replace Capela, but that should be doable on the buyout market.

The Rockets don't seem interested in making trades. Fair enough. There's value in continuity as well. That said, if Monk were free at the right price, he'd be an optimal addition to this roster:

Even more so than Darius Garland.