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The Houston Rockets were rumored to be contemplating making a major move at the trade deadline this year, but they have largely added to the edges of their team. That continued with a trade made right before the buzzer sounded, as they shored up their big man rotation by adding veteran center Cody Zeller in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Houston's only trade heading into deadline day was a deal with the Boston Celtics that saw them net Jaden Springer while swapping second-round picks with the C's. The Rockets will be sending out a 2028 second-round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Zeller, allowing them to shore up their bench with another small trade.
“The Atlanta Hawks are trading Cody Zeller and Houston's 2028 second-round pick to the Rockets, sources tell ESPN,” Shams Charania reported in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Rockets hoping Cody Zeller can find his way into their rotation
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The addition of Zeller is an interesting one for the Rockets, as he hasn't taken the court at all this season due to personal reasons. Whether or not that will change now that he's in Houston, or if he will be sticking with the team, remains to be seen, but if he does, he has the potential to emerge as a big man option off the bench for one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Zeller previously spent the 2023-24 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, but he didn't make much of an impact, averaging just 1.8 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing just 7.4 minutes per game. Zeller obviously has his limitations, but given the low price tag associated with this deal, any sort of production Houston can get out of him will be a win, and it will be worth keeping tabs on his status in the wake of this trade.
