Why Rockets Could Trade for Clippers' Kawhi Leonard

The Houston Rockets have a number of assets both present and future that could help them net one of the best players in the NBA.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz suggests that the Rockets could target Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard in a trade.

"The Houston Rockets are at the top of the list of contenders to go star hunting between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline. This team is loaded with young talent and draft picks and should be hungry to make a playoff run after finishing just short last season," Swartz writes. "Leonard is an intriguing target if the Clippers' season goes south. Putting the two-time Finals MVP in the starting lineup in place of Dillon Brooks and reuniting Leonard with former Toronto Raptors teammate Fred VanVleet and some rising stars could make the Rockets a playoff lock."

The Rockets would likely need to part with Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun at the very least to make a deal like this happen, but with players like Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard all coming up behind them, Houston could afford to make a big splash like this and still have young players around to lay down the foundation for the future of the franchise.

It would be a risk, but a move like this would cement Houston's status among the best teams in the Western Conference.