Rockets are right to resist the urge to trade for a star

The Houston Rockets have been an early surprise in the Western Conference. Ime Udoka's team currently sits third, slightly behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors. 

Houston's early success has come via internal development, with multiple young players stepping into bigger roles or performing better in the roles they currently had. Udoka has been working wonders with the roster. However, the early success Houston is experiencing has reportedly seen a shift in priorities for the front office.

According to Marc Stein, who was writing in Sunday's edition of the SteinLine Newsletter, the Rockets are unlikely to enter any discussions for a major star in the near future. 

"Houston is determined to prioritize internal development this season with its youthful roster off to a 12-6 start and has been miscast by rival front offices as a team looking to make a splashy move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline," Stein reported.

Udoka's team currently sits second in defensive rating, third in net rating and 15th in offensive rating. If Udoka can get his roster executing at a higher level in terms of creating and scoring, Houston could be a legitimate postseason threat this season. 

Of course, the Rockets still need their young stars to continue taking developmental steps forward in the coming years. Yet, their hot start is proof of concept. As such, it makes sense for them to change course, especially when an aging veteran would likely tear their current rotation to pieces. 

The Rockets are building the right way. Yes, the progress is slower. And yes, patience will sometimes wear thin. But, when the success does come, it will be there to stay with a multiyear contention window. It would appear the Rockets front office would prefer the slow and steady method. Whether they can stick to that ideology in the long term will be the true telling point.