Rockets could make shocking move if they lose in first round to the Lakers

The Houston Rockets are currently down 0-3 to the Los Angeles Lakers, and a lot may be riding on what happens from here.

Houston could potentially look to trade star center Alperen Sengun if they lose in the first round to the Lakers, William Guillory of The Athletic reported on Friday. Guillory notes that the Rockets may try to move Sengun in exchange for a (potentially) disgruntled star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard or Donovan Mitchell.

Sengun, still only 23, has been a central player for the Rockets over the last few seasons. With a skillset drawing comparisons to a lite version of Nikola Jokic, Sengun has made the All-Star team in back-to-back seasons now and averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season this year.

But Sengun’s development has actually cratered somewhat with starting point guard Fred VanVleet missing the entire season due to a torn ACL. As a result, Sengun is not getting to his spots as easily and his efficiency has taken a hit.

Sengun is also averaging a career-high 3.2 turnovers per game this season, and his deficiencies have really been exposed in the playoff series against the Lakers. In particular, Sengun is not finishing efficiently in the paint and has largely been a traffic cone as Houston’s final line of defense.

The former first-round pick Sengun did survive some notable trade rumors last offseason, and it was ex-Rockets co-star Jalen Green who ended up getting dealt instead. But with Kevin Durant about to turn 38 later this year, Houston may have to go all-in on next season if they cannot ultimately get the job done this season.