Over the past few years, the Houston Rockets have assembled one of the most talented young teams in the NBA.
A large portion of such trade value is retained.
If another superstar enters the trade market, Bleacher Report thinks Houston has two of the most valuable players in the league to offer.
Grant Hughes of B/R ranked Amen Thompson at number five and Reed Sheppard at number 10 in his July 31 assessment of the NBA’s top ten trade assets, and Houston was the only team with two players on the list. However, we all know the Rockets are very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very unlikely to trade Amen Thompson, so for the purposes of today’s discussion, let’s focus on Reed Sheppard.
Sheppard, who is ranked No. 10, gives Houston another young talent who might draw a lot of attention.
Despite having a little role early in his career, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft has continued to be a fascinating member of Houston’s backcourt. However, even with all that, I am unsure if I would keep Reed Sheppard. Reed Sheppard’s main strong suit was shooting, which he was good at as he shot 39% from three, but it feels that’s his only calling card offensively.
After Sheppard made 39.4% of his 3-point attempts the previous season, Hughes emphasized his shooting. The Bleacher Report writer also mentioned Sheppard’s career statistics of 18.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes. “If he develops as a playmaker and figures out how to survive being a target of the opposing offense,” Hughes wrote, “Sheppard has legitimate star potential.”
Houston has more trade weapons than just their two young guards. The Phoenix Suns’ 2029 first-round pick, which will ultimately belong to either Houston or the Brooklyn Nets, was named by Bleacher Report as the NBA’s third-best trade asset. Hughes listed the Rockets’ hold over Phoenix’s 2027 first-round choice as one of the league’s most valuable future assets. Houston has a lot of versatility because of that collection.
Without making another significant trade, the Rockets can keep developing around Sheppard, Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Durant. But Houston has the youthful skill and draft money to make a strong offer if a player who could change the franchise becomes available.
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