Roles on the Rockets Will Change if a Superstar Joins

As the league prepares for the season's final games, the Houston Rockets' front office prepares for one franchise's biggest offseason sessions in modern history. Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka must decide whether they'll stick it out with their young players after a disappointing playoff loss or if they'll compile players and assets to trade for an established star. If they choose to go with the latter, the organization will reorganize from top to bottom to focus on surrounding the new star with a championship-caliber team.

Some may argue that potential trade packages for players like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant could take too many of the team's key players for the remaining team to still compete for a championship. However, there are several potential versions of the team that could be competitive with the edition of a standout star.

Houston's most valued players are Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Green, followed by Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. These players provide the most trade value, and any package for a star would likely feature a combination of these players. Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason could be names that sweeten the pot for a prospective trade partner.

One of Sengun, Thompson, or Green will likely have to be traded to complete a deal for a player of Antetokounmpo's caliber. A trade that removes one of the team's best players will always need an adjustment period during the fallout.

It isn't often that teams trade for a No. 1 scoring option in their prime, so the Rockets might be in a rare situation to secure the new face of their franchise through a trade.

However, as the face of the franchise, the front office must do what they can to build a championship team around the star and keep them happy.

A player like Antetokounmpo completely changes a franchise from the front office to the on-court product. The Rockets would rely on his abilities significantly on offense, and he'd slide seamlessly into Houston's dominant defense.

Udoka would have the offense originate through Antetokounmpo, as he would be the most talented player on the team. The front office would be focused only on who will help them win next year.

The rest of the young players would likely have to take a step back as well. Each player took a step up this season and took on more responsibility for the team's performance. There is concern that adding a dominant player could throw off the team's "scoring by committee approach.

So far, the Rockets haven't revealed which options they value most, but they will eventually have to make a big decision