Where Could Devin Booker Fit on the Rockets?

The Houston Rockets have been exploring potential options for an alpha. Rumors around the NBA have connected names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant to Houston. However, one name that initially had some momentum but has lost a little over time is Devin Booker. It makes sense, as the Phoenix Suns value Booker as a region-defining superstar.

However, the offseason is about hypotheticals based on reports, and the potential benefits of a Booker addition are enticing for a Rockets team looking for an answer at their lead scorer.

Booker is a direct upgrade at the shooting guard position. Jalen Green deserves credit for his entire body of work this season. However, his performance in the postseason left much to be desired, and Booker is arguably the best shooting guard in the league, along with Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, and Donovan Mitchell.

The offensive benefits immediately provide a necessary improvement in the team's perimeter scoring.

Booker's archetype at guard is the perfect complement to the rest of the roster. He is adept at shooting after the catch, making him an ideal target for passes from Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet. He is one of the NBA's most accurate shooters from deep, but he also makes moving shots from the mid-range.

His mid-range moving shots are more prominent when he attacks off the dribble. Booker is an underrated ball handler and passer, and he's extremely effective with the ball in his hands. He can make tough shots at a high level and can snake through screens to create efficient opportunities.

Creating opportunities through screens is something that brought significant difficulty to Green and Amen Thompson.

Thompson is elite at getting to the rim, but his offensive game is relatively limited when he has the ball in his hands. He relies on rim runs and an inconsistent mid-range shot to pick up his points in the half-court. Green has a little more versatility, but he's not consistent enough with his shooting to make teams pay for sagging off to stop drives to the rim.

Booker solves both of those issues with his dynamic scoring ability. He would be the ideal addition at guard if the Rockets choose to move on from Green. However, the package would likely be the priciest of any potential star addition, and it might be a difficult acquisition for the Rockets.