In the NBA, there are only a handful of players that are truly ‘untouchable' in trade discussions. This distinction is only given to players who are good enough to be the best player on a championship team. Even then, the moment that player becomes disgruntled, that label goes out the window. By and large, general managers are always listening to trade offers on all their players. So as the trade deadline approaches, it's interesting to see what categories select Rockets players fit into.

Untouchable

None. There's nobody on the Rockets that's good enough to be labeled truly untouchable.

Reluctant to move

This is a good starting point for Houston. These are the players you're right on the edge of labeling untouchable.

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Jalen Green

Because of his All-Star ceiling, it's unlikely you'll see rookie Jalen Green moved at any point over the next several years. Taking him second in a stacked draft class indicates how high the organization is on him. Green's leaping and multi-level scoring potential is what naturally drew him Zach LaVine comparisons in the draft.  And you don't move players like that in their rookie season. On top of all this, he's getting paid the rough equivalent of the mid-level exception so it's not like he's a burden on Houston's books.

Alperen Sengun

Alperen Sengun should have gone top seven in the last draft and it's becoming obvious to anyone who didn't believe that before. To start, Sengun's an incredible low-post scorer with an underrated screen and dive ability that leads to efficient scoring. That alone should've gotten him into the lottery, but what makes him a truly special prospect is the passing. He's got an ability to see the floor develop and make difficult passes that's unheard of for modern big men. He's got some work to do on the defensive end, but he's still a positive impact player. Like Green, he's got star potential and you don't move those players unless you're blown away with an offer.

Listening, but not shopping

Other than one player, I wouldn't necessarily move any of the players in this group if I were Houston, but I'm certainly listening. For example, Houston shouldn't hesitate to include these players in a star trade package.

Josh Christopher

This was the hardest omission from the ‘reluctant to move group'. Josh Christopher was not projected by many to be a first round pick and he's making Houston look really smart for taking him there. To start, Christopher's got great size for a shooting guard (6'5″ with a 6'9″ wingspan) and it projects well for him defensively. He's very good at getting downhill and there's reason to believe he'll be a good shooter in the NBA. Christopher doesn't quite possess the same star potential that the two players above him do and it's much more palatable to include him in trades. For example, Christopher shouldn't be the reason they don't pull the trigger on a star player. The same couldn't be true of Green and Sengun.

Jae'Sean Tate

Another difficult omission from the ‘reluctant to move' group. Jae'Sean Tate has more than proven that he should've gotten drafted in 2018 and has made Houston look very smart for signing him up last summer. Tate is a defensive stud with an ability to play multiple positions and handle the ball. Similarly to Christopher, he's also got great size, but his rebounding ability makes him usable as a power forward. He's also strong and has a knack for finishing around the basket.

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K.J. Martin

The league missed on K.J. Martin. big time. The 20-year-old forward was taken 52nd in last year's draft and right now it clearly looks like he should have gone higher. Like his father, Martin is an incredible leaper and shows potential to be a very good defender in the NBA. He's active around the basket and it's led to a lot of near-highlight plays. The shooting ability is a question mark as Martin actually shot respectively from three-point range last season (36.5%) but is back down to 32.1%, but he's pretty good at putting in the work on getting better there.

Usman Garuba

It appears Usman Garuba's offense was a bigger liability than many foresaw, because he's barely played for Houston this season. Garuba's calling card in the draft was his incredible defensive upside, size (6'8″ with 7'2″ wingspan, 234 pounds), and versatility. However, he's clearly a long-term project for Houston. It's smarter for them to hold and develop Garuba than sell while his value is artificially low. They should still obviously listen to offers though.

Kevin Porter Jr.

This will probably be the most controversial omission from the ‘reluctant to move' category, but it really depends on how you view Porter Jr.'s upside. Is it possible he becomes good enough to be a starting caliber point guard for a championship team? That's probably what you're looking at for his ceiling right now, so yes. However, when you look at the areas that he's currently lacking in, it's hard to say that's a likely outcome for him. The turnovers, shooting efficiency, and ball handling still aren't where they need to be to give him a starter's projection.

More likely is that he becomes a good enough offensive player to be in a playoff guard rotation. That's a damn good career and well beyond where he was drafted to be (30th pick in 2019). It's just not good enough to be deemed ‘reluctant to move'.

Christian Wood

Christian Wood has exceeded the dollar figure he signed for with the Rockets last summer and is basically a fringe All-Star player at this point. He's an elite screen and dive center, has good touch around around the basket, and is one of the best big man shooters in basketball. He's not the best defensive player, but like Sengun, isn't so bad that he's not a positive player. That's just an impossible package to find in a modern center.

While I personally believe the Rockets should look to move him at the trade deadline, it doesn't appear that they're at that stage with him yet. If they are, they're doing a damn good job at avoiding leaks. At the very least, they appear to be listening to offers, which is why Wood's in this category.

Garrison Mathews

Garrison Mathews is a deadeye shooter, has good size, and is on a bargain contract. He's still probably more of a trade sweetener than a full-blown asset at this point. If Houston were trying to dump a contract or move up in the draft, Mathews not a bad guy to move. He's more useful as someone to help space the floor for player development over the next couple seasons.

Armoni Brooks

Armoni Brooks is not a good enough player to be a trade asset for the Rockets. Brooks is clearly a good shooter, but he's a big liability on the defensive end and not the strongest ball handler. The size is also a limiting factor here. There's no harm in Houston keeping Brooks around to see if he can develop into something more. However, it's unlikely teams are inquiring about his availability.

Should eventually move, but not right now

There's only two players here and for the sake of brevity, we'll group them together.

David Nwaba and Daniel Theis

The Rockets likely signed David Nwaba and Daniel Theis with the intention of moving them before their contracts expire. They're both capable defensive-minded veterans that can help a good team and they've struggled to find a place in Houston's rotation for the bulk of the season. As the Rockets move players at this year's trade deadline, more playing time will be available for them. This will allow the organization to showcase the two for future trades.

Actively shopping

The smart money is probably on Houston opting for a conservative trade deadline where they only sell a couple pieces.

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D.J. Augustin

D.J. Augustin is on a minimum deal, he's still got some juice in the tank, and the Rockets need roster spots. Augustin can be a capable rotation guard who can hit threes off the bench for a playoff team on the cheap (late second round pick).

Eric Gordon

Eric Gordon is shaping up to be one of the prizes at this year's trade deadline. He's scoring 14.6 points per game on 61.8% true shooting, has no lingering injuries, and is battle-tested for big playoff games. Gordon can fit into so many different team constructs because of his willingness to start or come off the bench and ability to guard different positions. In addition to the floor-spacing he provides, he's great at attacking the basket and can be a secondary ball handler. The Rockets should try and fetch a first round pick as soon as they possibly can for Gordon.