Fred VanVleet OUT for Weeks; Should Rockets Trade for Pistons' Monte Morris?

The Houston Rockets are looking at point guards on the trade market. Could they swing a deal for Detroit Pistons veteran Monte Morris?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 7, 2024

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets will be without their starting point guard Fred VanVleet until the All-Star Break, severely hurting their depth at the position.

With the NBA Trade Deadline on Thursday, perhaps the Rockets can bolster that spot with some depth.

The Athletic suggests Detroit Pistons guard Monte Morris as a solution to this issue.

"A consummate professional backup point guard, Morris missed the first 43 games of the season and is just shaking off the rust. So far, it hasn’t been smooth sailing. He’s only playing about 11 minutes per game, and his shooting percentages are down across the board as he gets back into game shape," The Athletic writes.

"Morris was efficient last season as a starter in Washington, though his actual production did tail off a bit considering his role on that team. He still makes smart decisions and rarely turns the ball over. But will teams trust that he can return to form in time for a playoff push? If so, plenty of teams that need backup point guards could use him."

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The Pistons are expected to be one of the more active teams on the trade front, having already dealt Marvin Bagley III last month to the Washington Wizards and Kevin Knox II to the Utah Jazz. This could mean Morris is available if the price is right.

Should the Rockets be willing to part ways with a player like Jae'Sean Tate or some future draft capital, maybe the Pistons would be willing to pull a trigger on a deal.

Published Feb 7, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.