The Houston Rockets have recently suffered a two-game losing streak, causing great concern among their fans. The Rockets lost both games due to a sudden offensive outage in the fourth quarter, unfortunately falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat. The biggest problem exposed by these consecutive losses is the lack of a key player in the fourth quarter. Neither VanVleet nor Green, nor Shen Jing, have shown the ability to seal the deal in crucial moments.
In this situation, trading for a star player has become an urgent matter for the Rockets. According to previous reports, the Rockets' management did not plan to make any trades this season as they wanted to observe how far the team could go. However, recent consecutive losses may have softened their stance. Especially with several potential big-name players appearing on the trade market, such as the Kings' Fox and the Heat's Butler, who can meet the Rockets' demand for superstars.
Fox, in particular, the 27-year-old young player, has had a good performance this season, including a highlight moment of scoring 60 points in a single game. The Rockets and the Kings have a good relationship, which increases the possibility of a trade. Moreover, according to media reports, the Kings have expressed interest in some of the young players on the Rockets, making a big trade between the two teams seem increasingly likely.
On December 31st, Beijing time, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported that an Eastern Conference management source revealed: "Sacramento really likes (the Rockets') Sheppard." Eric Pincus reported that the current speculation is that the Kings do not want to give Fox the salary he wants for his contract extension, and it is very likely that Fox will apply for a trade next. The Kings now need to maximize Fox's value;
Among the possible returns, the Rockets' offer of "White Magic (Whitmore) + Sheppard" is the most attractive; however, because the two are rookie contracts and Fox's salary is high, this trade structure is likely to require adding other people's contracts to "make up the numbers."
Pincus proposed a trade scheme of 3 for 8, with the Kings sending out Fox, Lyles, and McDermott in exchange for the Rockets' Sheppard, Whitmore, Jeff Green, Tate, Landale, the right to swap first-round picks in 2027, first-round picks in 2028, 2030, and the right to swap first-round picks in 2031.
Rockets fans are very disappointed with Sheppard's performance this season. Some fans even believe that Sheppard's lottery ticket has already revealed the "Thank you for your patronage" with the word "Sheppard." Although Whitmore has good potential, the Rockets can afford to let him go in order to acquire Fox. This 8-for-3 blockbuster trade proposed by the journalist is completely acceptable for the Rockets. If the Kings like Sheppard, it would be even better, as the Rockets have no room for his growth.
Before the trade deadline this year, the Rockets are definitely worth looking forward to, so let's pay attention to this!