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The Houston Rockets have been one of the pleasant surprises of the NBA season this year, as Ime Udoka and company are off to an 8-4 start on the season. They are having a lot of success despite a very young team led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.
Oftentimes, a young team that its overachieving or taking the leap and becoming a playoff team can make a big move to try and become a contender right away, sacrificing the future for a chance to win right now.
However, the Rockets have no such interest in taking that kind of risk. Green and Sengun are obviously not going anywhere after signing contract extensions before the start of the season, but productive young players Tari Eason and Amen Thompson have also been off limits in trade talks, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
“Speaking of the Rockets and their potential place in the trade market, the message they are sending out is that they aren't interested in trading much of their young core right now,” Bontemps and Windhorst reported on Friday. “Draft steal Tari Eason, for example, has been drawing attention for the past year but has been labeled off limits, sources said. Same for last year's lottery pick Amen Thompson.”
Eason and Thompson have both established themselves as very good defenders who both project to get better on that side of the ball in the coming years. The Rockets are also able to be conservative in trade talks because they already have a few veteran voices who are contributing a lot in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
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Jalen Green living up to extension amid Rockets' hot start
One of the more controversial deals signed before the rookie extension deadline before the season came when Jalen Green signed a three-year deal worth up to $106 million to remain with the Rockets. Green's production, save for a stretch near the end of last season as the Rockets were slipping out of playoff contention, didn't necessarily justify that kind of money, but the Rockets were making a bet on the former No. 2 overall pick's potential.
Green has confirmed their beliefs so far this season. With over 20 points per game, Green is leading the team in scoring this season and he is keeping his turnovers down as well as someone who is asked to do a lot of ball handling on offense.
This young Rockets core has a lot of talented defenders, and Sengun has become one of the best offensive hubs and playmakers at his position in the league. However, in order to reach their ceiling they need Green's scoring punch and ability to score the ball in isolation in end-of-clock scenarios.
Green has been in a bit of a shooting slump lately, but he is clearly talented enough to be an efficient scorer. The shot selection can be a problem at times which contributes to some of his shooting struggles, but Green is more than capable of scoring the ball at an efficient clip. Despite that, he has still shown clear improvements for the Rockets this season.
