Rockets Rumors: Sengun, Exum, Trades, Gordon, Cannabis

The Rockets acquired Alperen Sengun after the Thunder selected him with the 16th pick, but Mike Schmitz of ESPN believes he could be a darkhorse candidate to win NBA Rookie of the Year.

He showcased excellent all-around potential in the Summer League – averaging 23.3 points, 17.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 4.8 blocks and 2.0 steals per 40 minutes in Vegas while knocking down 38% of his 3s, which sets the 6-foot-10 forward up very well to thrive in the modern NBA.

The Rockets aren’t exactly loaded up in the frontcourt either, as only Christian Wood and Daniel Theis should see guaranteed minutes at the 4 or 5 positions.

His ability to score in the post and create offense on the perimeter should set him up very well to play alongside Wood as well, and given the rebuilding stage that the Rockets are in, they’ll want to give their younger players as much run as possible.

More Rockets Rumors

• Dante Exum was recently seen with other Rockets players working out in The Bahamas, and then former professional basketball player Felix Van Hofe tweeted out that he’s signing with the Rockets in the next few days. Still just 26 years old, Exum could provide excellent perimeter defense to complement Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green well at the guard positions.

• The Rockets are expected to eventually deal Eric Gordon, Tim MacMahon of ESPN recently said on a new episode of the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. With the Rockets going younger, Gordon would be better served as a contributor to a contending team at this point of his career.

• On his 56th birthday, Vernon Maxwell became the latest former athlete to enter the cannabis space, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports recently passed along. Maxwell became known for his clutch shooting after helping the Rockets beat the Knicks in the 1994 NBA Finals.