Houston Rockets recently suffered a two-game losing streak, which has left their fans feeling very distressed. The Rockets lost both games due to a sudden offensive outage in the fourth quarter, unfortunately falling to the Timberwolves and the Heat. The biggest problem exposed by the Rockets' consecutive losses is the lack of a key player in the fourth quarter. Neither VanVleet nor Green, nor Shen Jing, have the ability to seal the deal in critical 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 somewhat softened the Rockets management's stance. Especially with some potential big fish appearing in the trade market. Both Fox from the Kings and Butler from the Heat can meet the Rockets' demand for superstars.
Especially Fox, the 27-year-old young player who had a great performance this season, including a highlight moment of scoring 60 points in a single game. The good relationship between the Rockets and the Kings management also 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 highly 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 on 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, a first-round pick in 2028, a first-round pick in 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 "Xie" character in "Thank you for your patronage." Although Whitmore has good potential, the Rockets can afford to let him go in order to get Fox. This 8-for-3 trade proposal by the journalist is completely acceptable for the Rockets. If the Kings like Sheppard, it would be even better because 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!