The Houston Rockets are having their usual regular-season success, as James Harden is dominating, Russell Westbrook is fitting in and the Rockets are absolutely burying opponents with three-pointers.
Whether or not Houston will actually experience playoff success this time around remains to be seen, but regardless, the Rockets probably need to add a piece or two to seriously compete with the two Los Angeles teams out West.
With the Feb. 6 trade deadline just a few weeks away, Houston will surely be in the market for improvements, but the problem for the Rockets is that they don't exactly have a ton of desirable assets.
That means Houston will have to look for relatively cheap solutions on the trade market, but the good news is that sometimes, cheap additions can be significant.
One such piece the Rockets should be looking at is Detroit Pistons forward Markieff Morris.
Morris is making just $6.6 million this season, meaning Houston won't have an entirely difficult time matching salary, and with the Pistons out of playoff contention in the East and a rebuild likely on the way, they probably wouldn't be too picky with the return so long as they don't have to pay money beyond this season.
The Rockets have a first-round draft pick, as well, so they could potentially send a couple of players on expiring deals (such as Thabo Sefolosha and Gerald Green) along with that pick to the Pistons for Morris.
Morris would not only provide Houston with a reliable scoring option off the bench, but he packs some decent versatility for a big man, and while he is not exactly his brother, Marcus, when it comes to taking defenders off the dribble and going on isolation scoring binges, he can somewhat create his own shot.
Right now, the Rockets don't have a ton of options at the power forward spot behind P.J. Tucker, which could be a pretty big problem come playoff time.
Not only that, but Houston currently ranks dead last in the NBA in bench scoring, so adding Morris to the mix would take some pressure off of Harden and Westbrook, especially with Eric Gordon struggling to find his groove.
As good as the Rockets have looked at times this season, they can't expect go into the playoffs with their current depth situation and contend with the Clippers and Lakers. They just don't have enough overall talent to mess with either team in a seven-game series, much like their previous years against the Golden State Warriors.
Would Morris solve that by himself? No, but he would certainly give Houston a nice boost, and his ability to spread the floor and hit the three-ball should fit well in a system that relies heavily on kickouts to open shooters.
And again, in an NBA where defensive versatility reigns king, Morris would significantly help the Rockets in that regard, as Houston is ranked 15th in the league in defense this season, which is not a recipe for postseason success.
Morris is an obtainable player for the Rockets, and they would be remiss not to check in on him.
Follow Us
Subscribe