{"id":198564,"date":"2026-06-02T11:38:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T15:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=198564"},"modified":"2026-06-02T11:38:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T15:38:29","slug":"rockets-nuggets-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/02\/rockets-nuggets-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rockets-Nuggets Trade That Could Fix Both Teams’ Flaws"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a crowded field of Western Conference contenders and contender wannabes<\/a>, the San Antonio Spurs have returned to the NBA Finals<\/a>. After a feisty seven-game series<\/a>, the Oklahoma City Thunder are clearly right there with them. But two other Western Conference hopefuls have some work to do. Maybe the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets could help each other out.<\/p>\n

How A Rockets-Nuggets Trade Could Help Both Parties<\/h2>\n

The Rockets and Nuggets are both trying to build around offensively talented, but defensively turnstile-like big men. It goes without saying that the Nuggets\u2019 version is better. Nikola Jokic<\/a>\u2019s three MVPs and 2023 Finals MVP say that pretty well on their own. But there is a caveat: the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun<\/a> may be, very slightly, the less defensively turnstile-like of the two of them.<\/p>\n

The eye test shows Sengun to be the nimbler and more energetic defender. Additionally, he averaged 1.1 blocks per game this season compared to Jokic’s 0.8 and had a Defensive rating<\/a> of 113.7 compared to Jokic’s slightly less desirable 115.3.\u00a0 Because of Jokic’s size, strength, and steal-generating savvy, the difference is minimal. But the 23-year-old Sengun is also far more likely to keep improving on that side of the ball.<\/p>\n

Of course, any slight edge Sengun has on defense doesn\u2019t remotely account for the gulf between them on offense. Even so, it\u2019s a distinction that the respective front offices should be mindful of. And yet, the Rockets and Nuggets’ drastically different approaches to roster construction fly in the face of it.<\/p>\n

The Rockets have crammed their roster full of hard-nosed defenders<\/a>, who Sengun isn\u2019t talented enough to carry on offense. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have surrounded Jokic with finesse players who lack the defensive tenacity to keep him from getting exposed in the paint. Both franchises experienced first-round losses against injury-ravaged opponents as a result. The Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, missing Luka Doncic<\/a>, because they couldn’t throw the ball into the Pacific Ocean. And the Nuggets lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, missing Anthony Edwards<\/a>, because they didn’t have the perimeter defense to keep the dinged-up Wolves from the door to the rim.<\/p>\n

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The Ideal Rockets-Nuggets Trade<\/h3>\n

Of course, if either team went too far the other way, they\u2019d inevitably run into each other\u2019s problems. But perhaps there could be a middle ground. There\u2019s one Rockets-Nuggets trade of 6-foot-8 forwards that could get them there. The Houston Rockets could sign and trade Tari Eason<\/a> to the Denver Nuggets for Cameron Johnson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Rockets’ Eason will be a restricted free agent this season with plenty of suitors<\/a> at a price range of $20-30 million per year. The Nuggets’ Johnson will be on the final year of his contract and due to make $23 million in 2026-27.<\/p>\n

Comparing the Two Forwards<\/h3>\n

Tari Eason<\/h4>\n

In 2025-26, Eason averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. After a hot start, he finished the year at 35.8% from three on 4.3 attempts per game. He played 60 games and averaged 25.8 minutes. It was the 24-year-old\u2019s fourth year in the NBA, all with Houston.<\/p>\n