Unknowingly, the Rockets have become one of the most active teams this summer, not only bringing in champion point guard VanVleet, but also getting the Grizzlies' first outside defensive Dillon, and the team's new roster has slowly formed. Not only that, the Rockets also drafted small forward Whitmore in this summer's draft, he played very well on the stage of the summer league, and won the next MVP, which undoubtedly gives us hope for the rise of the Rockets. If nothing else, Whitmore will be nurtured by the team's management from the new season and will slowly realize his talent.
Of course, Whitmore's arrival will also slowly cost the Rockets' other wing, Tate, who is older than Whitmore. Due to the talent on the team's roster, if nothing else, Tate will be traded by the Rockets for more chips. If the Rockets want to take their place in the competitive West, it is not enough to rely on outside players, the team still needs to bring in an experienced center to be able to lead the growth of young people such as Smith Jr. and Shin Kyung, which is what veterans mean to a team in the midst of a rebuilding period.
This doesn't? According to the famous American media "Backward World", a three-way transaction plan is likely to be reached, involving the Rockets, Pelicans, and Raptors, and the specific transaction content is as follows:
Rockets: Using Jock Randale, Jessien Tate, and the 2024 Nets first-round pick as chips to get Jonas Valanciunas;
Pelicans: Take Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr., Kira Lewis, Dyson Daniels, 2024 Pelicans first-round pick as chips to get Pascal Siakam;
Raptors: Using Pascal Siakam as a chip, get Jock Landale, Jesseon Tate, Larry Nance Jr., Kira Lewis, Dyson Daniels, 2024 Pelicans first-round pick, 2024 Nets first-round pick;
This three-way deal is significant, and if it does become a reality, it will completely change the power of these three teams and change the structure of the league.
Although the Rockets are not short of talent inside, they still hope to get an experienced center who can lead the young people to growth. In this deal, the Rockets will send away Landall, Tate and a first-round pick, but this is not enough to affect the strength of the team, so it is okay to send away. Landell as an interior lineman and Tate as a winger, these two positions are already full of talent and do not require much dedication from them; If they can be traded away for Valanciunas, the Rockets' roster will be even more complete.
As for the Pelicans, the new season will usher in a healthier Zion, who can be used as the team's interior core. In this small-ball era, what is more scarce is not the center, but the all-round interior. In this deal, although the Pelicans have to sacrifice a lot of players and chips, they can exchange for the Raptors' Siakam, which will allow the team to discharge five small teams such as CJ, Jones, Ingram, Zion, and Siakam, and completely improve the team's offensive and defensive strength.
Looking at the Warriors' peak deaths in the past, we can see the power of this lineup, and the Pelicans we are looking forward to can get Siakam to show us the deterrent power of this small-ball lineup.
For the Raptors, since the team has stacked too many forwards, it is also worth considering sending Sika away for more chips. After all, the team still can't go further in the case of multiple strikers, and can't always make a loss-making deal.
In this deal, such a huge return with just one Siakam will make the Raptors numb in this deal. The arrival of Laudel will allow the Raptors to get a strong backup inside, and Tate can also be used as a wing, so the Raptors have become a big winner in this deal, and the team's roster thickness will be greatly improved.