Ahead of the draft, plenty thought the Houston Rockets should use recent good draft fortune to pursue a major trade. Is it still an option? The theory was that a team on the bubble of the play-ins last year doesn’t need more prospects. They need a big name to help them break in that bubble rodeo-style and help them ride it up through the Western Conference standings.
Should The Houston Rockets Still Go For A Big Name Trade?
Well, the Rockets seemingly kicked that bubble on down the road instead when they turned their number three pick into Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard. So no trade right? No big name. But not so fast. According to The Athletic, the Rockets have at least three potentially franchise-altering super-stars in mind when it comes to going all in. Those include Zion Williamson and Devin Booker, who look set to stay put this offseason. The time may come however when the Rockets will be in prime position to try to snatch Booker. But the other big name they’ve been linked with still holds some immediate intrigue. The ideal Houston Rockets trade target then, is Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell Still Hasn’t Signed An Extension
Free Agency has been underway since 6 pm June 30th. In that time, there have been some routine extensions and some big free agency reinventions. So far the biggest of the latter was the cross-country exodus of Paul George. He’s ditching the perennially injured superstar (and the LA Clippers organization that traded MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to get him) to team up with a new perennially injured superstar in Joel Embiid.
But Mitchell is yet to commit to the Cleveland Cavaliers. What’s interesting about that is that many believe his pairing with fellow Cavs guard Darius Garland is problematic. It’s long been speculated one of them will thus be on the move. Of course, reports were circulating that Mitchell is the guy Cleveland is invested in building around. A rapid extension was supposed to be handed out accordingly. Mitchell is eligible for a four-year $209 million contract. So far though, no extension has materialized.
It would be understandable if Mitchell were hesitant to commit to a franchise whose success over the years has been almost entirely dependent on arguable G.O.A.T LeBron James. Evan Mobley did show some promise last postseason when given opportunities as a small ball five, but that just raises the question of what to do with Jarrett Allen. If Mitchell were to request a trade, then there may be no team in the league better equipped to make Cleveland a compelling offer.
The Houston Rocket’s Trade Offer
The Houston Rockets could try to snag Mitchell’s services with a combination of picks and promising young players. The most obvious build-around piece would be Jalen Green. Green obviously fits Mobley’s timeline perfectly, considering they were drafted second and third in the same draft. As for Houston, whatever opinion you may have of Green’s potential, you’d effectively be skipping a few years of development to access the upper end of that potential straight away.
Mitchell is the ideal three-level scoring guard. He is a volume three-point shooter who puts pressure on the rim and is also comfortable from the midrange. Albeit not an elite passer, he’s added skip passes and lobs to his repertoire over the years and is assuredly a more reliable decision-maker than the current version of Green. Mitchell certainly wouldn’t have the same qualms about the offensive game of his Houston pick-and-roll partner as he had about that of Rudy Gobert back with the Jazz. Then again, he’s supposedly a big fan of Jarrett Allen, so maybe Gobert giving him COVID was the main point of contention. Nonetheless, Mitchel and Alperen Sengun would make a devastating pairing on the offensive end.
Houston should try to keep Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore out of the deal. Realistically, their competition isn’t actually going to come from the value of their trade offers anyway. If Mitchell wants out, there’s always the chance he’d name his desired destinations. If he’s like most NBA superstars, those would be the LA Lakers or the Miami Heat. Houston’s best hope of making that list would be if he happens to really, really hate state income tax. Maybe he picked up a libertarian streak in Utah. But a Houston Rockets trade package built around Jalen Green would make those built around LA’s Austin Reaves or Miami’s Tyler Herro look like piles of sticks and straw. Houston would just have to hope Mitchell wouldn’t explicitly refuse to play for them. Their offer would do the rest.
The Last Word
There’s always also the possibility that Mitchell will grant Cleveland that extension after all. Who knows what the hold-up might be? Trying to use his leverage while he has it to dictate other trades? Perhaps his agent is still haggling over a particular incentive. Whatever it is, Houston should be trying to find out more. Even if the price winds up being too dear, if a Mitchell to the Houston Rockets trade is available, the team would be remiss not to join the hunt.
