Reports: Rockets willing to include former No. 2 pick in trade packages

Executives around the NBA believe the Rockets are willing to include former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green in a trade package for a marquee wing, according to reports from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports and Marc Stein at Substack.

Both reporters mention Mikal Bridges as a top target for the Rockets, with Stein citing a belief around the league that Houston has been open to parting with Green and “an array of first-round picks” in exchange for the Nets forward. 

However, Brooklyn continues to resist inquiries for Bridges, so those talks didn’t gain any traction, according to Fischer.

When the Rockets conducted head coaching interviews last spring, they asked their candidates their thoughts on which of the team’s younger players the front office should consider including in a deal for a star, league sources tell Fischer. 

Houston’s group of youngsters includes Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.

Fischer’s report doesn’t state that head coach Ime Udoka identified Green as a potential trade chip, but the 21-year-old is the young Rocket whose name has popped up most often in trade rumors as of late.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

• While many rival front offices have viewed the Rockets’ willingness to discuss Green as a signal that they’re looking to accelerate their rebuilding process and push for a postseason spot, their acquisition of Steven Adams — who is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury — suggests they have more patience than advertised, Fischer writes. As Fischer observes, it’s more accurate to classify Houston as “eager to be opportunistic” rather than determined to make a second-half push.
• The Rockets — like the Knicks and some other teams — were prepared to be players for the next star player that became available this season, sources tell Yahoo Sports, but no player of that magnitude is currently on the market.
• While Houston remains a team to watch ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, a significant deal appears more likely to occur in the offseason than this week, says Fischer.