NBA Mock Trade: Rockets Upgrade at Point Guard, Forward

In a recent mock trade, Houston is able to upgrade at a few positions while offloading future assets.

Dec 21, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets in the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have been one of the surprise teams of the NBA season, boasting a top defense and fast-rising young core.

Still, there’s a few places they can stand to improve in order to further rise up the Western Conference ranks.

It’s been no secret point guard Fred VanVleet has had a rough go on the offensive end, averaging 14.7 points on just 37% shooting overall, including an abysmal 30% 3-point shooting. While he’s been vital in helping the Rockets shoot up the rankings the past few years, it seems the team could be in need of an upgrade.

Here, we’ll look at a trade between the Rockets and Jazz that could be mutually beneficial:

Houston Rockets get: Collin Sexton, John Collins

Utah Jazz get: Fred VanVleet, 2025 Rockets FRP, 2027 Suns FRP, 2026 Rockets SRP, 2027 Rockets SRP

In this theoretical deal, the Rockets upgrade at ever-so-slightly at point guard with Collin Sexton while adding a nice rotational forward piece in John Collins.

Sexton’s had a nice season scoring the ball so far, scoring just under 17 points on near-50% shooting, cashing in on 43% of his 3-point attempts. His passing and defense isn’t quite up to par with VanVleet, but the Rockets’ have a supplement in backup Amen Thompson.

In Collins, they add another player in a career year, averaging 17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 52% overall. While Collins likely couldn’t continue that level of production in Houston, he’d certainly be a nice addition to the rotation, be it starting or in reserve.

The Jazz offload impactful players and tradable contracts, so they come away with four picks: two firsts and two seconds. While the Jazz are already coasting to one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, this would further cement them among the upper ranks, so they could hopefully land a talent like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper or more.

Additionally, they land a soon-to-be expiring in VanVleet, who they could attempt to flip for more assets, or let run his course on his current contract.

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