NBA Insider Reveals 5 Houston Rockets Trade Targets to Replace Fred VanVleet

The Houston Rockets are going to need to replace Fred VanVleet. They looked like they were going to enter the season with one of the strongest rosters in the league, and now they are without their star point guard. With Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun on the team, the Rockets may be hesitant to make a bold trade. After all, those two rising stars should be keeping the team relevant for years. However, with Kevin Durant on the team, they may want to maximize their contention window. 

Because of salary cap restrictions, the Rockets can’t just sign a free agent point guard as a VanVleet replacement. They need to make a trade. 

NBA Insider Bill Simmons recently went on his podcast and discussed with Zach Lowe some possible Rockets trade ideas for VanVleet replacements. 

The five names that Simmons had on his Rockets trade target list were:

Ayo Dosunmu

Jose Alvarado

T. J. McConnell

Scotty Pippen Jr.

Payton Pritchard

Of this list, Payton Pritchard and T.J. McConnell are the most interesting. Both are exceptional backup point guards. If they were given the reins to the starting job in Houston, they could really take off. Both are tough and scrappy, an identity that Ime Udoka and the Rockets have adopted for their team.

The luxury that Houston has is that they already have two non-point guard players to run their offense through. Durant and Sengun can be the focal point of an offense, meaning that whoever replaces VanVleet won’t have the weight of the world on their shoulders. 

What Houston really needs is someone who can ball-handle, play solid defense, and be a good leader. Both McConnell and Pritchard fit that mold perfectly.