Could The Houston Rockets Trade Key Starter To The Los Angeles Lakers?

The Rockets guard would make an intriguing addition for the Lakers.

Jan 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) reacts toward Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The bulk of NBA transactions are done for a while, with the next key progression in the NBA world is the beginning of training camp just before preseason begins. The Houston Rockets could be in the market for trades, however.

Right now, the Rockets are in a weird spot as it pertains to the roster. They've got Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun as two young pieces with legitimate star potential. The club also made moves to acquire Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet a year ago to expedite the process to building a playoff-ready roster.

There are now multiple avenues the franchise can go. Whether it be leaning into youth or moving on from high-potential players to bring in more win-now talents, winning trades will be crucial for the Rockets.

The Rockets could lean into youth by sending Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers, pairing him with LeBron James, which would be ironic given the two players' history. In this, the Rockets forward would be in a position to use his elite defense and strong floor-spacing abilities to help Los Angeles compete at the highest level, while Houston would add complimentary players around their young core.

The Rockets could net players like Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and multiple draft picks to help build out a long-term plan in Houston to eventually build a contending roster, also clearing space in the rotation for young players with high potential to hit the court.

This would be a bold move for Houston. They would be picking a direction between winning now or leaning into development at the expense of being competitive at the moment. Brooks' defense helps build the team's identity in the short-term, but he's good enough to play a key role in a contending team in Los Angeles.

It'll be interesting to see how the Rockets handle their current iteration of their roster as they continue to move forward.

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