Rockets Become Instant Threats If De'Aaron Fox Trade Happens

The Houston Rockets and the rest of the NBA are paying attention to the situation brewing in the capital city of California with Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox.

Fox has reportedly asked the Kings for a trade, and momentum could trigger a move before Thursday's deadline.

ESPN suggests the Rockets as one of four realistic landing spots for a Fox trade.

"If Sacramento is going to trade Fox to a non-desired destination, the Rockets are the most logical partner. The Kings would acquire Fred VanVleet as a replacement point guard -- a modest downgrade from Fox -- along with some of Houston's promising young talent and a stockpile of draft picks," ESPN writes.

"Realistically, the Rockets' A-level prospects probably would be off-limits given the uncertainty about getting Fox to sign an extension in Houston. That still could leave 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore, who has excelled in limited minutes and would get more opportunity with the Kings.

"Because of the Stepien Rule (which requires teams to have at least one future first-rounder in every other draft), the Rockets can't currently trade the valuable swap rights they have with Phoenix's 2025 first-round pick. However, Houston holds the Suns' pick outright in 2027 and the two best picks between the Rockets' own, the Dallas Mavericks' and Phoenix's in 2029. All of those first-rounders have considerable upside.

"Already second in the West, Houston would solidify its contender bona fides by adding Fox. In his lone playoff appearance, Fox averaged 27.4 points per game as Sacramento took the defending champion Golden State Warriors to seven games in a 2023 first-round series."

A trade could be hard to come by for the Rockets with so many moving parts having to align in such a short amount of time, but if Fox finds his way to Houston, the team will instantly cement itself as one of the teams to watch out for in the Western Conference.

The Rockets return to the court tomorrow night to take on the New York Knicks. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.