The Houston Rockets have come up a lot recently in NBA trade deadline rumors. They are reportedly still interested in the Nugget's Carmelo Anthony, their big man Nene, and pretty much anyone Daryl Morey can get his hands on. That doesn't even include a potential resolution to the Aaron Brooks situation, even though they say they won't be moving him.
All of this information is a lot to take in. Luckily for us, our Rockets blog The Dream Shake has made an effort to simplify things, and introduce five things you should keep in mind as the deadline approaches.
1. The Rockets will probably end up surprising us.
They usually do. They've made trades that come out of left field before, and it would be unwise to rule them out from doing that kind of thing this year. We keep hearing about Carmelo Anthony and NeNe, but that doesn't mean that they are the only players that Morey is targeting.
2. The Rockets are interested in a star player. We've been aware of this for about a year now.
There are a lot of teams out there interested in a star player too, I'm sure. But the rockets have a lot pieces and assets that might interest teams willing to move star players for young talent.
3. The Rockets are interested in a starting center, but would rather deal for a younger player with upside rather than an established starter.
This applies specifically to the Nene rumors. He's a good player, but he's no spring chiken. The Dream Shake lists DeAndre Jordan and Omer Asik as possible targets, even though they wouldn't satisfy the Rocket'sapetite for a star player.
4. I hope we find a taker for Aaron Brooks.
The Rockets are saying that Brooks won't be traded, but I think we all know that everyone is available if the right deal comes along. Brooks probably doesn't have a history in Houston beyond this season, which is a little surprising based on his year last year. But if the the Rockets can get some value for him before his contract expires, it is something they should look into. But you can't just give him away for pennies on the dollar either. Finally,
Remember, it takes two (or more) teams to make a deal.
The Rockets want to do this, and they want to do that, but if there isn't a team out there who is willing to make a deal with them, nothing can be done. It seems obvious, but it is an important thing to remember. Just because the Rockets want someone and they have a package prepared that seems like fair value, teams don't have to make a trade with them.
With all that in mind, enjoy the next two weeks of baseless opinion and wild speculation. Truly, the best time of the year.