Jaylen Brown might be the perfect trade acquisition for Houston
There are many trade rumors circulating regarding Jaylen Brown's future for the Boston Celtics. It is speculated that he will be leaving during the off-season, and one of the more likely and exciting destinations is the Houston Rockets. Houston will have to weigh the pros and cons of investing in him: could he be the missing piece of the puzzle that brings Houston success?
Houston has immense potential, and with Kevin Durant nearing the end of his career, the Rockets will need a star to replace him and lead the team moving forward. Ime Udoka previously coached Brown in Boston, so there is already a good rapport and and connection from coach to superstar. It is hard to measure the impact of having a positive relationship with the coach, but it is certainly crucial and not an easy task to accomplish. This makes it more likely for the trade to occur, whilst allowing Brown to have a quick and smooth transition into Houston’s spotlight.
The Rockets are defensively astute, but are in dire need of an offensive playmaker. Brown has proven that he can carry his team no matter the pressure. He narrowly missed the NBA first team selection, and his overall statistics, along with his playoff experience might be exactly what Houston needs. He averaged 28.7 points per game (4th overall in the entire NBA), along with just under 7 rebounds per game, and 5.1 assists across 34.4 minutes.
Houston struggles with perimeter scoring, and Brown is one of the strongest candidates to improve in that category. Houston’s offense has seem stagnant and slow at times, and Brown is incredibly efficient when it comes to offensive transitions. He would more than likely improve the team’s floor spacing and stretch the opponent’s defense, alleviating the pressure imposed on the rest of the team, and creating wider driving lanes.
Houston lacks flexibility in their salary opportunity, but Brown's salary matches Durant’s, creating an easy replacement. The benefit in choosing Brown over Durant, is the longevity of Brown's remaining years in the NBA, along with the fact that he is less injury-prone. Houston has had issues with their roster depth, which makes both of these factors crucial to their future success.
Although this is still just a trade rumor, it is a very intriguing and exciting opportunity for Houston that they do need to consider. The Rockets are full of potential, and have a championship winning mentality. They can almost taste a trophy on the tip of their tongue. Green grass lies ahead, but will they make the correct roster management decisions to bring glory and triumph to Houston?
