The Houston Rockets are in a position where taking a swing on a big-name veteran fits with their timeline and aligns with the assets the franchise has available to make such a move.
With a roster full of young and talented players, plus the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft via the Phoenix Suns, there is plenty of ammunition at Rockets general manager Rafael Stone's disposal to go out and get a blockbuster deal done.
While many across the NBA expected the Boston Celtics to trade away at least one core piece of the equation this offseason due to impending luxury tax penalties, Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury changes everything for the defending champions. Now, all options are likely on the table for Boston, and Houston has a chance to take advantage of their situation to add to the Rockets' collection of talent.
Rockets Land NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown in Fascinating Mock Trade
As good of a roster as they have built, the Celtics will not be contending for a title next season with Tatum to miss a large portion, if not all, of the 2025-26 regular season campaign. With that being the case, and Tatum essentially unmovable as an injured player on a huge contract, you cannot discount the possibility that Brad Stevens unloads Jaylen Brown to gain younger players and draft capital to continue building around Tatum down the road.
Giving up Smith Jr., Eason, and Shepherd would be a tough pill to swallow for Rockets fans. That is the cost of doing business when attempting to acquire a multiple-time All-Star with an NBA Finals crown to his name, like Brown. Losing Dillon Brooks could very well be an addition by subtraction, as his performance on the hardwood has not lived up to the contract he signed in 2023.
Moving forward with a core of Brown, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun would be an extremely talented group for Ime Udoka to get creative with his rotations. Given the arms race in the Western Conference, specifically within the state of Texas, as both the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks have cornerstones of the future in place, a move for a player like Brown would give Houston a greater chance of making deep postseason runs.
Title contenders need an alpha on the roster to take over a game when needed. Houston has plenty of talented players in the fold, but they are undoubtedly lacking that closer who has the killer instinct to get the job done night in and night out.
Brown could be that player for the Rockets if the Celtics are willing to play ball this offseason.