Rockets Still Need to Add a Guard Despite the Blockbuster Kevin Durant Trade

The Houston Rockets have been the winners of the NBA offseason, having made multiple high-profile moves since the season ended in early May. The Rockets have been able to retain all of their free agents while reportedly completing the most significant trade of the offseason.

The Rockets and Phoenix Suns have been flirting with a Kevin Durant trade since the trade deadline in February. No deal could be made at the time, but it had always been lingering in the background. When the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Rockets, those rumors increased tenfold. After it became apparent that the Rockets were not going to budge on what they were willing to give up in a Durant trade, the Suns finally relented and sent Durant to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick, and five second-round picks.

The trade signified that the Rockets were ready to transition from a surprise team in the NBA, as they were last season, to a legitimate championship contender. Durant is one of the best all-time scorers in NBA history and instantly makes the Rockets' offense better from day one. However, the trade does leave the Rockets with a hole in the backcourt.

To acquire a player of Kevin Durant's caliber, the Rockets had to give up one of their core seven players. The Rockets sent Jalen Green to Phoenix, which means they have to fill the shooting guard position. For now, it appears the plan is to move Amen Thompson to the shooting guard position and either have newly acquired Dorian Finney-Smith play small forward or have Jabari Smith re-enter the starting lineup and play alongside Durant.

In either case, the Rockets will still be thin in the backcourt. It has been reported that the Rockets are expecting a better season from Reed Sheppard, who struggled in his rookie season as it took him a while to adjust to the speed of the NBA. Aaron Holiday is the only other guard coming off the bench to back up Fred VanVleet, who signed a new contract that will keep him in Houston for at least two more seasons.

The Rockets are hoping to limit VanVleet's minutes even more this season after seeing his minutes drop to a little over 31 minutes a game. However, VanVleet did still play 40 minutes a game in the Rockets' first-round series.

The Rockets may have confidence in Sheppard to improve this season, but the fact of the matter is that he is still only entering his second season and had a disappointing first season in Houston. There are a few options in free agency for the Rockets to explore if they don't make another trade, possibly. There have been rumors that the Rockets are looking to move on from Cam Whitmore, but as of this writing, that has just been a rumor.

Players like Seth Curry and Malcolm Brogdon are still on the market, but at this point, outside of a trade, the Rockets can only offer the veteran's minimum. The players mentioned may be looking for better contracts, at least for now. Once it gets closer to the regular season, some players are more willing to accept the veteran minimum if they weren't able to get a deal earlier in the offseason.

Although the Rockets would be championship contenders next season without any further moves, bringing in a veteran guard to help solidify the backcourt depth would be a great addition to an already potentially great team.