The Houston Rockets let the trade deadline come and go without making a deal to help their team in the short-term.
Instead, the team made a small deal a week before the deadline, acquiring injured center Steven Adams for three second-round picks and Victor Oladipo's contract, in hopes of giving them some depth in the frontcourt for next season.
With the Rockets just barely outside of the Play-In Tournament, some may have expected the team to make a small upgrade at the center spot or find another guard to help them with shooting. However, no such deal was made.
The Rockets reportedly were offered a pair of second-round picks from the Dallas Mavericks for Jae'Sean Tate, but Houston wanted one more pick, which broke the deal.
It seems like the Rockets were willing to make trades, but there weren't any offers they deemed suitable for them. The urgency to make a deal wasn't as strong as it had been in previous seasons considering the team wasn't a sure-fire buyer nor seller.
With half the league taking the same approach in sitting out of the deadline or making one small trade, the market simply wasn't as fruitful as it once was ... and that's what explains the Rockets' motives. Had other teams around them made big moves, perhaps Houston would have done the same. However, the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers -- all of whom are fighting for one of the last Play-In slots -- either sat out of the deadline or made deals without the goal of improving the team for the stretch run.
The Rockets are also showing some trust in the roster they built in the offseason, and they hope that it will be enough to make the playoffs. However, they missed out on their last chance to truly improve the team and could experience some regret down the line if it lands them in the lottery once again.
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