What is next for the Houston Rockets? The team just completed a trade that sent Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Lou Williams, and a 2018 protected first round pick to the Clippers for Chris Paul. Now, The Rockets have two superstars in Paul and James Harden, but they are looking for a third according to Alec Nathan of Bleacher Report.
Carmelo Anthony seems to be on the wish list for the Rockets. Houston is also mentioned as a potential destination for Paul George, but a lot would need to happen to make that work.
Anthony on Houston's radar
The Rockets are hoping that the Knicks and Anthony can reach an agreement for a buyout.
At the moment, it seems that may not happen. One of the reasons reported for Phil Jackson and the Knicks parting ways was the disagreement in buying out Anthony. The scoring machine still has two years for $54 million left on his contract.
However, if Anthony were to secure a buyout, the Rockets would be leading contenders for his services. Reports are surfacing that not a lot of teams are wanting to trade for Kevin Love, so the Cavaliers would be strapped in terms of what they could do. The Rockets have enough money in cap space to make a pitch to bring Anthony in. If Anthony is serious about winning a championship, the Rockets could be his best shot given his age.
Backup plan
The Rockets are also linked to free agents such as Paul Millsap, Blake Griffin, and Kyle Lowry.
Now that Paul is the new point guard, it is safe to assume that Millsap and Griffin are now their main focus this summer. Griffin seems like a more likely target since Paul and Griffin had chemistry back in Los Angeles. It's too bad for DeAndre Jordan, who was basically guilted into resigning with the Clippers, and now the other members of their big three will have bolted.
Regardless of feelings, the Rockets need a third superstar to compete with San Antonio and Golden State. The Rockets still have Nene, Trevor Ariza, and Eric Gordon. Those are nice role players, but the Warriors had that and superstar talent. They will need to hope for a buyout or make a run at a premier player.
Plan C
The Rockets are reported to being contenders for making a trade for George.
It seems that the Rockets are hopeful that they can do either of the top two plans first after giving up most of their bench and part of their future for Paul. The Rockets would have to give up a similar haul for George, so finding a third team would have to be part of the deal. The likelihood of this happening is slim though.
