The Houston Rockets have finally ended the dramatic dealings with James Harden, officially trading the star guard to the Brooklyn Nets. Even as they clear one major headache from the forefront, Houston doesn't have a clear-cut path laid out in front of them as things currently stand.
As part of the Harden trade, the Rockets got Caris LeVert from the Nets, but he's being rerouted to the Indiana Pacers for Victor Oladipo as part of a separate trade. While Oladipo is looking close to his former self again, he's set to be a free agent in 2021 and reportedly still wants to be with the Miami Heat.
Houston could look to flip Oladipo somewhere else at some point, but what if the franchise wants to keep him around for the long haul? It seems the Rockets may have some work to do to convince the guard to stay.
Here are a few players the Rockets could target in hopes of convincing Oladipo to remain in Houston.
3. Will Barton
Barton has been a key part of the Denver Nuggets' success in recent seasons. The ascension of Michael Porter Jr. has shaken things up a bit, often causing Barton to take a backseat in order to allow the 22-year-old forward to develop his game, though Porter has been out recently due to COVID-19.
Barton is averaging 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28.9 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 22 points in his latest effort against the Nets on Tuesday. With Harden gone, the Rockets will need more offensive juice, so Barton could be an option to help out alongside Oladipo and Co.
2. Aaron Gordon
The Orlando Magic are down bad at the start of the season. They've already lost a considerable amount of their weapons after catching a few wins during their first batch of games.
Even before the start of the season, there was a reasonable amount of speculation that Gordon could possibly be moved as the Magic continued to prioritize Jonathan Isaac and some of their other younger talents.
The 25-year-old forward brings a multi-dimensional game to the Rockets as he's able to switch between the three and four spots on the floor, giving the Rockets the ultimate flexibility. He's bringing in 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field overall.
If he's inserted at the wing position, Gordon can overpower most of his opposition on any given night while providing backup to the frontcourt.
1. DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan could end up being an all-in effort from the Rockets if they truly plan to still contend this season. A John Wall-Oladipo-DeRozan trio could be rather dynamic.
DeRozan is in the final year of his contract, which puts him on a similar timeline with Oladipo. If both players can help the Rockets make a deep run this season, they could think about re-signing together.
The Spurs may feel inclined to deal DeRozan rather than letting him walk for nothing during free agency. Houston has some role players and now a bevy of picks to include in a trade, so San Antonio could get a nice little haul for the All-Star.
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