Rockets Eye 'Additional Size' at Trade Deadline, Says Insider

The Houston Rockets are three weeks away from the NBA Trade Deadline.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 19, 2024

Rockets Eye 'Additional Size' at Trade Deadline, Says Insider /

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Houston Rockets

The NBA trade deadline is three weeks away and the Houston Rockets are expected to be a buyer for the first time in four years.

It remains to be seen exactly who the Rockets will acquire, but there's reason to believe that the center position could be addressed.

Alperen Sengun Moe Wagner Magic Rockets — Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

"The Rockets are known to be in the market for additional size in support of rising star Alperen Şengün and possess two trade-friendly contracts: Victor Oladipo's expiring $9.5 million deal and Jock Landale's four-year, $32 million deal that is only guaranteed this season," Marc Stein wrote.

The Rockets also have some additional draft capital to work with in case they want to make a big splash, but it seems unlikely that there will be someone of major significance to warrant a big package.

The Rockets have their starters in place ... it's the bench that needs sorting, especially at the backup center position. Jock Landale hasn't lived up to the expectations placed upon him in the offseason and he's fallen out of Ime Udoka's rotation.

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Some players who could fit the bill for what the Rockets are looking for are Washington Wizards big man Daniel Gafford and Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards. Both of those teams are expected to be sellers and it shouldn't break the break to bring either player to Houston.

The NBA Trade Deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 8.

Published Jan 19, 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.