For the Houston Rockets, their team has been on a free fall ever since they swung a deal to trade Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards and shortly after, James Harden was headed to the Brooklyn Nets as well to pair up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Rockets have gone on a full rebuild, but they still do not have a franchise cornerstone on their roster like how the Oklahoma City Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or the Detroit Pistons with Cade Cunningham on their lineup, respectively.
The Rockets have numerous guys with immense upside like Kevin Porter Jr. Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun, but it is still obvious that these three individuals still have glaring holes on their arsenal. Houston still has ton of moves to maneuver around if they want to seriously contend for a playoff spot in the near future. One trade that could swing the tide for Houston is acquiring Zion Williamson from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Similar timeline to other core guys
Even with the numerous injuries incurred by Williamson in his young NBA career, one could easily forget that he is still just 21 years of age. The main assets of the Rockets are all at a similar timeline with Williamson, so it would be ideal to make him join the cast. Their ascension will likely be on a similar trend as well and Williamson will be the key cog and leader of this squad.
Some other franchises that may make a run for Williamson will fear that he will reach his peak level when their other stars are already on a decline. That would not be the case for the Rockets with Williamson and Green forming a tandem that would be a daily League Pass habit for NBA fans. In addition, the Rockets have other enticing individuals and more draft picks that could make New Orleans pull the trigger.
Franchise player they have been searching for
As the lingering foot issue is still bothering Williamson, this could be the time wherein his value is at its lowest. When he was fully healthy, he was averaging over 25 points and close to 10 boards per game as these are incredible numbers for a player who could be tasked to be the captain of the ship for the next 10-15 years.
Harden, Chris Paul, and Tracy McGrady are some of the biggest names who have donned the Rockets jersey the past 15 years, but they do not have a player with a high enough ceiling right now. If Houston can somehow acquire an athlete with enormous potential, the next problem they would have is adding surrounding and supporting pieces that would complement Williamson's repertoire.
Some names that would fit instantly with their respective roles are Green, Eric Gordon, and Jae'Sean Tate. Moreover, the Rockets are not a big market free agent destination, so this may solely be their chance to add a superstar name in Williamson.
Zion's increases free agents to choose Houston
The aforementioned difficulty of Houston of signing up attractive free agent pieces will be addressed if Williamson is able to join them in the offseason. It is no secret that he is a humble and selfless teammate that would galvanize his teammates to succeed on both ends. Additionally, these role players or All-Star caliber players looking for a new home will scour through the Rockets roster and realize that they would the chance to blossom on this squad and have a respectable role as well.
For instance, the Boston Celtics were cellar-dwellers after the retirement of their Big 3, but free agents like Al Horford and Gordon Hayward decided to sign with the organization because they saw the upside of individuals like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Additionally, a classic example from Houston's perspective is buying low on Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder which gave them the tools to construct a championship contending squad for several years.
The Rockets failed to reach the Promised Land, but they were constant legitimate contenders every season. That could be a scenario as well for Houston so trying their best in formulating a package to have Williamson on their lineup for next season would be a dream situation. Along with that, the Rockets fans will need to exercise a ton of patience throughout this process.
This current crop is not going anywhere in the West, so why not execute a calculated risk and add a generational talent?
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