The Houston Rockets suffered a major blow before the start of training camp.
Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and will miss the entire 2025-26 season.
Houston can ill-afford to waste a season, though.
Last year’s No. 2 seed in the Western Conference acquired 37-year-old Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in June.
And with the two-time Finals MVP’s age, Houston has to go all-in while they can. Otherwise, they risk wasting the end of KD’s prime.
If the Rockets want to capitalize on the roster they have right now, they need to go out and find themselves a new point guard who can run the offense and fill the shoes of VanVleet.
Rockets Trade Proposal Lands Bulls’ Coby White
Siddhant Gupta of Fadeaway World proposed a trade where the Houston Rockets would acquire Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White as a VanVleet replacement.
Houston Rockets receive: Coby White
Chicago Bulls receive: Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, 2029 second-round pick (SAC)
While the Rockets do have a point guard on the roster in Amen Thompson, his strengths are on defense, and he is still developing his offensive game.
Landing White, who is a stronger offensive player, creates a two-headed monster in Houston’s backcourt. Each guard specializes in one side of the ball.
“White has positioned himself as a solid combo guard over the past few seasons. After securing a more significant role with the Chicago Bulls, the 25-year-old has grown in stature, showcasing layers to his game and improving upon his overall productivity on the floor,” wrote Gupta.
“The guard has proven himself as a scoring threat. While he has been successful in catch-and-shoot situations, he has been equally capable while creating scoring opportunities for himself, owed to his quick first step and his willingness to embrace contact while driving towards the basket.”
The former Tar Heel averaged 20.4 points and 4.7 assists per game last year. He did so on 45.3% shooting and 37.0% from three-point range.
While Houston is forced to give up young ascending players in the deal, Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason, the Rockets have a lot of guard depth. They can afford to dip back in the draft for more prospects later on.
Why the Bulls Make the Deal
The Chicago Bulls should be chomping at the bit to make this deal.
White is entering the final year of a three-year $36 million deal. He signed it in July 2023.
If the Bulls don’t trade the 25-year-old this season, they risk losing him next summer for nothing.
And swapping out a player on an expiring contract for two up-and-coming players along with a future draft pick is a home run for a rebuilding team like Chicago.
“The former lottery pick [Sheppard] from last season has shown tremendous potential as an offensive threat, specifically as a perimeter shooter. His capability with shooting in a variety of situations has been deemed impressive, especially after a 25-point performance during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in March this year,” continued Gupta.
“Unfortunately, the 21-year-old received very little playing time in the Rockets’ rotation, primarily due to their pre-existing depth in the shooting guard position. This led to limited output, as he averaged 4.4 points and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 35.1% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range.”
With White out, and Sheppard and Eason in, the Bulls’ future is a bit brighter after making this trade.
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