According to U.S. media reports, the Rockets are considering a trade to improve the roster and sprint to the goal of the playoffs. It is reported that the Toronto Raptors, a team in the East, offered a 2-for-5 trade package to the Rockets. The specific trade content is: The Raptors sent Siakam and a first-round pick as trade chips, and got five players from the Rockets in return: Jabari Smith, Eason, Landale, Oladipo and Tate.
After the Raptors traded small cards, they have been developing Siakam as a core player on the team. But it turns out that Siakam's technical characteristics and individual ability make him more suitable to play as a support next to a superstar player. The Raptors have successively sent away the team to rebuild the team with the intention of sending away the team's meritorious small cards, Lowry, VanVleet and others. It's just that the Raptors, who are desperate to rebuild, are not in a hurry to push for a deal for Siakam. If the Rockets and Raptors agree on this 2-for-5 deal, the Raptors can use this deal to get Jabari Smith, Eason, and Tate from the Rockets, four very promising rookie players, as well as Oladipo's expiring contract. The Raptors laid a good foundation for speeding up the team's rebuild, clearing up enough salary space.
Shen Jing, known as Jokic Jr., is getting better and better in the Rockets, and according to the current trend, Shen Jing is likely to surpass Jalen Green to become the new tactical core and team building core of the Rockets. However, the Rockets currently have only two backup centers in the lineup, Marjanovic and Landale, who have become the mascot players of the Rockets, and Landale has been plagued by injuries since joining the Rockets. In desperation, Rockets coach Udoka can only let Smith and Ethan, who are better at the No. 4 position, make cameos at the No. 5 position to share the inner pressure of nerves and at the same time buy him some rest and respite. Technically, Siakam is a very athletic interior player, and with his increased athleticism and reach, he is able to switch freely between the 3, 4 and 5 positions, thus enriching coach Udoka's tactical play.
Siakam, who came to the Rockets through a trade, can also reunite with Raptors champion VanVleet, who just signed with the Rockets this year, in Houston. VanVleet will also do his best to help Siakam integrate into the Rockets' tactical system as soon as possible, shorten the run-in time, and form combat effectiveness as soon as possible. Siakam, on the other hand, will use his height, reach, and mobility to play a vital role in the Rockets' interior offense and defense, and the championship interior player will become Jokic Jr.'s new partner on the interior when he arrives with the Rockets. To sum up, I personally feel that if the Rockets and the Raptors reach this deal, it means that the Rockets have helped the interior core Shin Kyung find an interior partner again through this deal. The two Raptors can get the young players that the Rockets have carefully cultivated in the Rockets and accelerate the team's rebuilding pace, and from these two perspectives, this deal can be a win-win deal for the Rockets and the Raptors.
Although the Rockets are a relatively young team, if this deal is completed, the Rockets will have three players with championship experience: Jeff Green, VanVleet, and Siakam. These veteran players with championship experience will teach the young Rockets how to withstand the pressure and move forward steadily at the critical moments of the game, and Siakam, who came to the Rockets, will also do his best for the Rockets' goal of hitting the playoffs.