As the league's oldest strong team, the Rockets were forced to choose a full rebuild after Harden forced the palace to leave, and won the league's penultimate record in the past two consecutive seasons.
This allowed the team to win four first-round shows, including The Eye Green, and a batch of high-pick first-round picks in the offseason, and the Rockets' rebuilding prospects are bright.
Especially considering that this season's list eye Green ushered in explosive growth in the closing stages, the Rockets are destined to stick to the path of cultivating young people, and after selecting a high-ranking newcomer in the offseason, the team is expected to return to the ranks of competitors after another year of bad luck.
It's not hard to see from the performances of the second half of the season that the Rockets' young players have begun to emerge and they need more playing time.
Therefore, further selling off the veterans in the lineup has become a top priority for the Rockets to adjust the lineup in the offseason.
To this end, Greg Patuto of the US media "NBA Analysis Network" also supported the Rockets, which can complete a 2-for-4 deal with the Grizzlies, pack wood and Gordon's two instant combat strength, and exchange them for two new stars + a first-round pick.
Potential trading scenarios
Rockets Sent Out: Wood + Gordon;
Grizzlies sent: Adams + Melton + Clark + 2024 first-round picks (protection with the top four picks).
The Grizzlies have further transformed this season to become the biggest dark horse in the West, lifting the team to second in the league, behind the Suns in first place.
But against the Timberwolves in the playoffs, the team's performance is still very struggling, the core reason is that Morant's play style is in conflict with the current Grizzlies roster.
As the representative of a new generation of league stars, Morant has both impact and organizational ability, but his mid-range shooting and defense are huge shortcomings, which makes him very easy to be limited in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves' defensive strategy in the series was very clear, that is, to shrink the inside line and surround Morant in the box, which made the latter play very badly.
Because the Grizzlies, in addition to Bane's stable shooting ability, the rest of the players' outside finishing ability is also very average, which put Morant in a very embarrassing situation.
When he came on the field with a lot of possession, the team's performance at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends declined, and when he didn't play, the Grizzlies distributed the ball reasonably, thus playing more efficiently.
The Grizzlies can't give up the new stars they have cultivated, and naturally can only adjust the configuration of role players according to Morant's current style of play.
The deal is one of the quality options, with Both Gordon and Wood with the ability to stabilize space, with Gordon shooting 41.2 percent from three-point range this season, averaging 2.2 three-pointers per game and Wood also shooting 39 percent from the outside.
Among the chips sent away, Melton and Adams have been abandoned, and only Clark is slightly sorry, but Wood is undoubtedly his upgraded version, and after completing the transaction, Gordon will also bring key playoff experience to the young Grizzlies, and the team is expected to further transform next season.
For the Rockets, the deal is also perfect, although according to the current performance of the Grizzlies, the 2024 first-round pick is destined to be low.
But Melton and Clark are well worthy of the team's development, Clark will further improve the team's interior depth, this season he has proven himself in the playoffs, averaging 15.2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.
As for Melton, he was originally a player selected by the Rockets, and he also played well during the regular season this season, playing the role of a backup point guard for the Rockets.
Therefore, for two teams at different stages, this plan is expected to take what they need.
The Grizzlies, who have returned to the ranks of competitors, cleared out some of the players who fell out of the rotation in the playoffs, completed a further improvement in immediate combat power, and solved the problem of Morant incompatibility.
The Rockets, who continue to lay out the rebuild, get two young players worth developing, and Adams, whose contract is about to expire, are preparing for a return to the contenders soon.