Houston Rockets: Winslow, Johnson combo expensive but worth it

The Houston Rockets are looking to offload Ryan Anderson. Here’s why it’s time to take Ryan Anderson’s talents to South Beach in exchange for Justise Winslow and James Johnson.

The Houston Rockets have re-signed Chris Paul and Clint Capela. James Ennis was brought in on a one year deal. Carmelo Anthony is due to sign in short order. Not a bad offseason. However, the team is still looking to upgrade on the wing by adding defenders, per Ben DuBose of Locked on Rockets.

Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report recently speculated that the Houston Rockets should match up with the Miami Heat in order to acquire said defenders. A deal centered around Ryan Anderson for Justise Winslow and James Johnson seems like a far-fetched idea. In actuality, it could be very attainable, expensive but attainable.

Johnson has been in the league for a little bit and has bounced around teams even more. His past two seasons in Miami have been some of the most productive in his career. He’s playing the most he’s ever had and his numbers are rising because of it.

Johnson is good for about a steal and a block a game en route to a solid defensive rating. He also is very solid on the glass. He has potential to up his three-point game as well, in the 2016-17 season he shot 34% from three. He also attempted the most he ever had. The Houston Rockets will likely give him the green light, especially from the corner.

Winslow, a Houston native, was a top ten pick in the 2015 draft out of Duke. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite taken off like you’d want a top ten pick to do. But, he has turned himself into a very solid 3-and-D player for the Heat.

Winslow has been seeing his minutes decline but, he also had, arguably, his best season last year. Per 36 minutes, he averaged over 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. He also added a steal and a block to those numbers. All the while he shot the highest percentages of his career at 42.4% overall and 38% from three while upping his attempts.

These two guys would be huge assets to the Houston Rockets’ rotation in the upcoming season. Both add the ability to cover four positions seamlessly all while providing exactly what the ream needs on offense. They can hit the trey and streak into the lane for an easy bucket if the opportunity presents itself.

But, this upgrade is going to come at a large price. Of course, like any other deal, this will have to include Ryan Anderson, he’s not the large price. He just foots the contract bill that’ll have to come for these guys.

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Zhou Qi is just the starting point asset wise. He helps make the money work but, he’s also a very intriguing prospect who has continually progressed since making his way over from China. He is a prospect many teams would want as he is a rare stretch five. If he continues to develop, he’ll have a very long career in this league.

Unfortunately, Anderson and Qi won’t be enough to pry Johnson and Winslow from South Beach. The Houston Rockets will likely have to include their 2019 first round pick, which can now be included in trades again. The Rockets are a virtual lock for the bottom end of the first but, it’ll still likely take a top 10 protected pick for the Heat’s interest to peak.

However, the Heat will likely want a little bit more. Throwing in a 2020 second round pick could do the trick. That is one steep price for two years of Johnson and a year of Winslow. In order to recoup some of this loss, a swap of 2021 second round picks should push this deal over the edge for both teams.

So, the final deal would be James Johnson, Justise Winslow, and 2021 second round pick to the Houston Rockets for Ryan Anderson, Zhou Qi, a top 10 protected first round pick, and the 2020 and 2021 second round picks. This would be a huge, game shaking deal for the Houston Rockets. It could be the final piece to help push them over the edge against the Warriors.

The team will without a doubt add a defender before the season starts. A deal will likely include Anderson and his contract. Whether it be Kent Bazemore, this Heat duo, or another player entirely, this storyline is one to watch over the next couple months.