Counting the Phoenix Suns, who were swept in the first round, almost half of the teams in the NBA have entered their own offseason ahead of schedule. Among these teams, the future of the Rockets is relatively bright, not only is they young overall, they have some future assets, and they have already begun to show results, and they are only one step away from entering the play-in tournament this year.
And the basketball website BR wrote a long article analyzing all the teams in the lottery and suggested that the Rockets trade All-Star power forward Laurie Markkanen for the Utah Jazz. And the two youngsters Jabari Smith and Cam Whitmore will be used as bargaining chips, and the 2026 first-round pick of the Nets will also be sold, which is a typical zero-round trade, and the Rockets will have to come up with a 2027 second-round pick provided by the Grizzlies, which is better than no bargaining chips.
Lauri Markkanen has improved rapidly since joining the Jazz, and has even been selected as an All-Star, averaging 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 0.9 steals per game this season. Lauri Markkanen is not only efficient offensively, but also creates chances for his teammates and has a very high ball quotient on the field. However, relying on Lauri Markkanen alone, it was difficult for the Jazz to impact the playoffs, and just in the second half of the game he was injured, the Jazz simply swooped straight into the swing. Compared to Jabari Smith, Lauri Markkanen is an all-around upgrade, he can form a gorgeous interior twin tower with Alperen Shenjing, and the Rockets can also have a real All-Star.
Jabari Smith is still young, but he is in the order behind Jalen Green and Alperen Shinjing, and if the Rockets rush to produce results, Jabari Smith could be sacrificed. For the Jazz, it seems that there is more patience and time for the young people to grow, and if Lauri Markkanen is sent away, the Jazz will be rewarded enough, in which Jabari Smith is a good replacement, and will be given more resources and roles.
As for Cam Whitmore, his rookie season became the main point of attack for the Rockets' second team, but from the perspective of future personal development, Cam Whitmore stayed with the Rockets and could only play off the bench after all. But moving to the Jazz, who are in ruins, could get more opportunities and show his talent to the fullest. In addition, the Jazz can continue to harvest draft picks, looking forward to winning the 1-2 cornerstones, and continue to develop young players in the past two years, rather than blindly participating in the involution of the West.